Advertisement
football Edit

ANALYSIS: Where Carter Fits and Why He Chose Izzo

EAST LANSING - With Michigan State having lost four players that played the power forward position for the Spartans last year, Ben Carter’s addition to the program should help solve the Spartans’ biggest variable for the 2016-17 season.

The 6-foot-9 Carter, who averaged 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots in 24 minutes per game during an injury-shortened season for UNLV last year, announced on Wednesday that he will transfer to Michigan State this summer. He will be eligible immediately as a fifth-year graduate transfer.

In selecting the Spartans, he canceled trips that were scheduled for Arizona and Arizona State. Miami and North Carolina State were also under consideration for visits.

Carter will help bolster a front line for the Spartans that will include 6-foot-9 senior center Gavin Schilling and 6-foot-6 sophomore Kenny Goins to go with incoming 6-foot-7 McDonald’s All-American Miles Bridges and 6-foot-9 Nick Ward, a national Top 50 recruit out of Gahanna, Ohio.

The Spartans will need to replace power forwards Deyonta Davis, Marvin Clark, Javon Bess and Colby Wollenman - each of whom played substantial roles at various points of the 2015-16 season. Davis is leaving early for the NBA, where he is projected to be a Top 15 pick. Wollenman graduated. Clark and Bess are transferring out.

Carter is transferring in, seeing Michigan State as a good fit for his final year of eligibility.

“Coach Izzo is looking for me to help fill the power forward spot, but I’ll do whatever they need me to do,” Carter said. “Whatever he needs me to do is what I’m going to do. If he wants me to play center, or play point guard, or run to Detroit and back, I’ll do that.”

Carter is recovering from a torn ACL, which he sustained in late January.

During his official visit to Michigan State last weekend, Carter spent time in the film room breaking down the Spartans’ office with Tom Izzo.

“One of the things they really preached to me was the fact that players like myself and the way I play it fits perfect in Coach Izzo’s system,” Carter said. “He showed me film of four or five of his power forwards over the past 10 years and showed me the spots I would be in during different plays and some that would be run for the power forward position, and how I would be able to affect a game. That really stood out to me.

“Obviously there is Draymond Green, who was the most notable player at that position, but also players like Branden Dawson and Adreian Payne, players who have made an impact and how he used them within their system. He said he thought this would be a perfect fit for me and I agree with him.”

Carter isn’t necessarily a Green/Dawson/Payne type of player, but he is intriguing enough as a still-untapped talent that Arizona and Arizona State - two teams that played against Carter in recent years - lined up for his services.

“Arizona and ASU, they said they liked the fact that I’m a team guy and try to make winning plays at all times,” Carter said. “With Coach (Sean) Miller at Arizona, I played against him three or four times over three years so he is very familiar with my game. He kind of said, ‘Ben, I really messed up by not recruiting you the first time around or the second time around,’ but he said he felt it would have been a perfect situation for me there. I really am honored to be considered by such great programs.

“On Wednesday morning, when I was ready to make my announcement for Michigan State, the first thing I did was call those coaches at the other schools and thank them for the opportunity, for believing in me and my talent.”

'BEN IS AN ABSOLUTE WINNER'

Advertisement

In evaluating Carter, Michigan State watched film of his 16-point, 5-rebound game during UNLV’s upset of No. 13 Indiana last November.

“I showed flashes during that Indiana game but I believe that I have so much more to show that I haven’t shown yet,” Carter said. “That was a big game for me and helped me build confidence and move forward. But as far as reaching my ceiling, I’m nowhere close.”

That’s a strange situation for a player late in his career, but the same can be said for Schilling, who averaged 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Spartans in 2015-16. And the same could have been said 12 months ago of Matt Costello.

As a junior, Costello averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Spartans, and then averaged 10.7 and 8.2 for the Spartans as a senior. Costello averaged 12.5 and 10.1 in conference games, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Like Costello, Carter spent most of his junior season as the first man off the bench.

“Throughout the season, I thought I had a solid, consistent season,” Carter said. “It wasn’t great. It wasn’t bad. But I did what the team needed me to do and I took pride in being a leader on and off the court.”

UNLV was 13-8 with Carter in the lineup, but finished 5-7 without him. UNLV fired head coach Dave Rice three games into the conference season, a move which led to Carter seeking a transfer for his fifth year.

“We had such a roller coaster season and it all led up to my injury, which was really heart-breaking for me, and for the program and the community of Las Vegas because we were playing good basketball when I got hurt and it seemed like a pivotal thing for us when I got hurt,” Carter said. “It wasn’t my decision to come off the bench but Coach (Dave) Rice and (interim) Coach (Todd) Simon, who took over, thought it was best for our team that I came off the bench. I accepted it and tried to play that role to the best of my ability.”

Simon, a native of Fowler, Mich., coached Schilling in high school when Simon was head coach at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev.

MSU’s connections with Simon - a keen Spartan observer - gave Izzo a chance to get insider information on what kind of player Carter is and how he would fit into the Spartan program.

“Ben is an absolute winner,” Simon said of Carter during an appearance on The Drive With Jack radio show in Lansing on Wednesday. “He is one of those blue collar do-whatever-it-takes to win guys. He will be loved. He is one of those guys you add to your team and he immediately makes everybody better. There are no bad days with Ben in practice.



“There’s not question he will (fit well in East Lansing),” said Simon, who recently took over as head coach at Southern Utah. “He would fit in a lot of places just because of his versatility, he’s smart, skilled, and a guy that can fill a bevy of roles in your front court. Particularly, I think his mentality is a great fit for Coach Izzo and his program.

“There are two things that really stand out about him. One his competitiveness. Winning matters. Achieving in drills matters. Doing everything right matters. And his basketball IQ is tremendous. He is a guy that really understands the game, is a little bit of a point forward, will make the right reads, great offensive rebounder.

“The only real hiccup with him is he has been banged up. But once you get healthy and on the floor he is going to fill a variety of holes.”

Shortly after it was reported that Carter was seeking to transfer for his senior year of eligibility, MSU coaches reached out to Simon and others, about Carter.

“A couple hours later, I got a call from Coach Izzo,” Carter said. “That was pretty cool. I was a little star struck the first time he called me.”

Michigan State moved to the front of the list of schools Carter wanted to see.

“Obviously, having a chance to play for Coach Izzo was a big thing,” Carter said. “He is one of the best coaches in college basketball history. I consider myself a high-IQ player, and for someone who really loves the game and knows the game really well, it meant a lot to me when he called me and showed his interest. Michigan State doesn’t recruit west coast guys very often. Getting the opportunity to play for him and to play for a team that can contend for a National Championship was very appealing to me.”

'I DIDN'T NEED TO LOOK ANY FURTHER'

The visit didn’t disappoint either party. The Spartans liked Carter as a person, and he liked the personalities around the program.

“I had a great time in East Lansing over the weekend,” Carter said. “I really got to know Coach Izzo and his staff a lot better. I got to become a lot more comfortable with him and get more familiar with the program, and my family was able to as well.

“I loved how I was embraced by the whole team.

“I spent a lot of time during the trip with TumTum (Lourawls Nairn) and with Eron Harris, Matt McQuaid. Those were some of the guys I really got to know better during my time there. The other guys were around of course, but those guys really made an impact on my visit.

“I could tell there is such a family culture and a family atmosphere, not only around the basketball program but in the community of East Lansing.

“After taking a couple of days to really think about it after my visit, I thought that the best situation for me was at Michigan State and I didn’t need to take any more visits. It felt right.

“Michigan State was my first and only visit. I had a couple of in-home visits with Arizona and Arizona State as well as Michigan State. But after I visited Michigan State, I didn’t need to look any further.”

He called Izzo on Tuesday evening to let him know that he would be announcing his transfer to Michigan State the next day.

“I was at dinner with my family and we were discussing it and we felt it was the right time, and I called Coach Izzo and put him on speaker phone and told my family to tell him hello and I told him what my plans were for next year, and he was excited,” Carter said. “He was surprised. He kind of shouted for joy and gave a big ‘Wooooo!’

“He is a guy who has recruited hundreds of top recruits over the years and for him to be so excited about a kid from Las Vegas, a fifth-year senior, is really cool.

“I haven’t gotten to know him that well yet, but so far I can tell that he is a genuine person and truly cares for his players.”


WHERE HE FITS

Carter is optimistic about his knee situation.

“It’s coming along really well,” he said. “I work with one of the best physical therapists in the country, Scott Pensivy. He works hands-on with the Golden State Warriors. I’ve known him for a long time and it’s come along really well. I’m doing excellent with my rehab.

“I just recently started running. I’m able to jump now and get around and shoot around. I’m not cleared to do any live stuff yet, or any fast-paced shooting.

“I think I’ll be cleared to participate in contact probably some time around September or October. A lot of it is how you feel and going from there rather than setting a time table. It’s how your body adjusts to different activities and progressing over time.”

Carter is finishing classes at UNLV and will complete his degree in public administration “either early in the summer or later in the summer.”

Next year, the Spartans will need improvement from Nairn at point guard, which is a distinct possibility if he can enjoy a healthy off-season. Nairn will be joined by incoming freshman and 2016 Michigan Mr. Basketball award winner Cassius Winston. McQuaid and incoming McDonald’s All-American Joshua Langford can also play some point.

Harris, Langford, McQuaid and Alvin Ellis give the Spartans four promising options at wing guard, with Kyle Ahrens also capable of making a jump in his sophomore year.

With Carter added to the Schilling/Goins/Bridges/Ward pool of talent, Michigan State increased its chances of getting a quality rotation of big men next year, and improved its level of experience.

“It’s obviously a very talented roster with a great freshman class coming in,” Carter said. “I saw a spot that needed to be filled with the departure of some of the guys from last year.

“Playing time was a major deal to me. It’s my last year of college and I think I’ll have a chance to play a lot of minutes for Michigan State next year.

“I’m excited about the situation I’m entering. I really enjoyed the family atmosphere, and the texts that I received from people congratulating me. I had FaceTime with Eron Harris this morning saying it’s time to get to work.

“Most importantly, everyone’s mindset is set on winning a National Championship.

“Coach Izzo told me that now that we’ve got this done, the next step is getting myself healthy and getting to work.”

Advertisement