Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
Carlson Signs Two-Way Deal with Toronto Raptors
6/27/2024 5:51 PM | Men's Basketball
Branden Carlson of the Utah men’s basketball team signed a two-way deal with the Toronto Raptors.
TORONTO – Branden Carlson of the Utah men's basketball team signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors on Thursday as an undrafted free agent at the conclusion of the 2024 NBA Draft.
"I couldn't be more excited to continue my basketball career with the Toronto Raptors organization," Carlson said. "I've been blessed with a great support system my entire life. Thank you to my parents, family and of course my wife, Maddy. I am forever grateful and indebted for the devotion and sacrifices they all made for me to get where I am today. I want to thank all the coaches throughout my career. I am here today living out my dream because of your dedication to your craft. I would also like to thank the University of Utah for the opportunity, the coaching staffs and my teammates for an experience of a lifetime. As always, GO UTES!"
Carlson will have a familiar face welcoming him to Toronto in former Runnin' Utes big man Jakob Poeltl while also joining veterans Kyle Kuzma and Delon Wright in the NBA.
"So excited for Branden Carlson," Utah head men's basketball coach Craig Smith said. "Branden has worked so hard to get to the next level and his work ethic was evident of that each and every day. He is the embodiment of a Runnin' Ute and will have left as one of the greats to have represented the University of Utah. We couldn't be more proud and excited to follow his professional journey. The Raptors are getting a special player!"
Carlson recently wrapped up his career with the Runnin' Utes and left as one of the top players in program history. The South Jordan native racked up a host of awards in his career, including but not limited to being, a three-time All-Pac-12 recipient, two-time AP All-Pac-12 honoree, two-time NABC All-District selection, three-time All-Pac-12 Player of the Week and the 2023 Utah State of Sports Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year.
The 7-footer finished his career with 1,892 points, 842 rebounds, 170 assists and 241 blocks while shooting a career .513 from the floor and .354 from 3-point range. Carlson left Utah as the program's all-time leader in blocks and games played (146) while his 1,892 career points is fifth-most by a Ute. He also finished his career in the top-10 at Utah in other categories, including fourth in field-goals made (733 FGM), fourth in defensive rebounds (618) and eighth in offensive rebounds (224).
He left his mark in the record books at the Conference of Champions as well, becoming the only player in the illustrious history of the Pac-12 to record at least 1,800 points, 800 rebounds, 150 assists and 200 blocks. His 1,892 career points ranks 28th all-time in the Pac-12 while his 241 career blocks are good for fifth all-time. In addition, Carlson's 842 career boards are tied for 53rd in Pac-12 history while his 1,171 career points in conference only games are good for 14th-most.
In 2023-24, Carlson led the team in scoring for the third-consecutive season with 17.0 points per game to go with his 6.6 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game. His four games with 30-plus points made him the first Runnin' Ute to achieve that feat since Keith Van Horn during the 1996-97 season. Carlson's 40 points against Oregon State on the road was also the first time a Ute had scored 40-plus points in a single-game since Van Horn did it against TCU on Feb. 15, 1997. The career-high 40 points for Carlson was just the 25th time a player in the Pac-12 had scored that much in a single-game since 1996-97.
Carlson averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting .496 from the floor in 2022-23. His 63 blocks on the year was good for fifth-most in a single-season at Utah, tying him with Jakob Poeltl (2014-15) and 27th-overall in the NCAA (DI). Meanwhile, his 2.0 blocks average was second-most in the Pac-12 and ranked 22nd in the NCAA that year. He wrapped up the season with a 22 double-digit scoring streak – including three-straight double-doubles to end the year.
For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram.
"I couldn't be more excited to continue my basketball career with the Toronto Raptors organization," Carlson said. "I've been blessed with a great support system my entire life. Thank you to my parents, family and of course my wife, Maddy. I am forever grateful and indebted for the devotion and sacrifices they all made for me to get where I am today. I want to thank all the coaches throughout my career. I am here today living out my dream because of your dedication to your craft. I would also like to thank the University of Utah for the opportunity, the coaching staffs and my teammates for an experience of a lifetime. As always, GO UTES!"
Carlson will have a familiar face welcoming him to Toronto in former Runnin' Utes big man Jakob Poeltl while also joining veterans Kyle Kuzma and Delon Wright in the NBA.
"So excited for Branden Carlson," Utah head men's basketball coach Craig Smith said. "Branden has worked so hard to get to the next level and his work ethic was evident of that each and every day. He is the embodiment of a Runnin' Ute and will have left as one of the greats to have represented the University of Utah. We couldn't be more proud and excited to follow his professional journey. The Raptors are getting a special player!"
Carlson recently wrapped up his career with the Runnin' Utes and left as one of the top players in program history. The South Jordan native racked up a host of awards in his career, including but not limited to being, a three-time All-Pac-12 recipient, two-time AP All-Pac-12 honoree, two-time NABC All-District selection, three-time All-Pac-12 Player of the Week and the 2023 Utah State of Sports Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year.
The 7-footer finished his career with 1,892 points, 842 rebounds, 170 assists and 241 blocks while shooting a career .513 from the floor and .354 from 3-point range. Carlson left Utah as the program's all-time leader in blocks and games played (146) while his 1,892 career points is fifth-most by a Ute. He also finished his career in the top-10 at Utah in other categories, including fourth in field-goals made (733 FGM), fourth in defensive rebounds (618) and eighth in offensive rebounds (224).
He left his mark in the record books at the Conference of Champions as well, becoming the only player in the illustrious history of the Pac-12 to record at least 1,800 points, 800 rebounds, 150 assists and 200 blocks. His 1,892 career points ranks 28th all-time in the Pac-12 while his 241 career blocks are good for fifth all-time. In addition, Carlson's 842 career boards are tied for 53rd in Pac-12 history while his 1,171 career points in conference only games are good for 14th-most.
In 2023-24, Carlson led the team in scoring for the third-consecutive season with 17.0 points per game to go with his 6.6 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game. His four games with 30-plus points made him the first Runnin' Ute to achieve that feat since Keith Van Horn during the 1996-97 season. Carlson's 40 points against Oregon State on the road was also the first time a Ute had scored 40-plus points in a single-game since Van Horn did it against TCU on Feb. 15, 1997. The career-high 40 points for Carlson was just the 25th time a player in the Pac-12 had scored that much in a single-game since 1996-97.
Carlson averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting .496 from the floor in 2022-23. His 63 blocks on the year was good for fifth-most in a single-season at Utah, tying him with Jakob Poeltl (2014-15) and 27th-overall in the NCAA (DI). Meanwhile, his 2.0 blocks average was second-most in the Pac-12 and ranked 22nd in the NCAA that year. He wrapped up the season with a 22 double-digit scoring streak – including three-straight double-doubles to end the year.
For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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