Carter learning as he goes with Phoenix

Brett Knight
Staff Writer
Published: March 27, 2008

Devan Carter’s regular season statistics are nothing to “write home about” and they are numbers he probably won’t look forward to seeing when the 2008-09 Elon basketball media guide comes out this winter. However, the close of Carter’s sophomore campaign is one with a rather happy ending.
From a player who had thoughts of transferring to one who played a key role in Elon’s magical run to the Southern Conference championship game, Carter saw basketball from a new perspective this past season.
“It was the hardest year I’ve ever had in basketball,” Carter said. “I’ve always played everywhere I’ve gone (including Morehead and Hargrave Military Academy). Not getting a lot of playing time this year was so hard for me.”
During the regular season, Carter averaged two points a game in just over 10 minutes of action per contest for the Phoenix. A starter/key reserve in his rookie campaign, Carter was going through what a lot of people say was a “sophomore slump.” His playing time had been cut compared to his freshman season and he wasn’t on the same page as the coaching staff at times.
“I admit, I butted heads with the coaches this year,” he said. “We just didn’t see eye-to-eye on a few things and I was just frustrated that I wasn’t getting much playing time.”
However, by the time the Southern Conference tournament in Greenville, S.C., rolled around, Carter had confident with his game and was hoping to get that opportunity in postseason play. He got that chance for four days (March 7-10) as the seventh-seeded Phoenix made it all the way to the title game against the conference’s top dog Davidson, which has captured the attention of the entire country with its run to the Sweet 16. Elon fell short of going to the big dance, losing 65-49 in the title game.
Apparently, the tournament was just the thing for Carter, who averaged 5.25 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals coming off the bench. In Elon’s first round 52-37 win over Furman, Carter looked a little shocked when head coach Ernie Nestor singled for the guard to get into the game.
“I knew I would get to play eventually, but when he told me to go in, I was like you must be desperate,” Carter said with a laugh. “But I was looking to score when I went in and wanted to contribute in some way.”
He didn’t disappoint as he averaged nearly 15 minutes per game of action in the tournament. His two biggest games came against Chattanooga (3 of 4 shooting, seven points, two rebounds and one assist) in the quarterfinals and College of Charleston (3 of 4 shooting, eight points, one rebound, one assist and one steal) in the semifinals. Carter averaged 17 minutes during that stretch and felt like his old self on the court.
“I was shooting the ball better and when I came into the game, I felt like I could score at anytime,” Carter said. “I was taking good shots and my confidence was going through the roof.”
Now, the attitude change and the playing time didn’t magically happen overnight. It took some patience and some helpful advice from dear ol’ dad. With the frustration setting at just over the midseason, the elder Carter had a long talk with his son.
“He was telling me make your practices like our game,” Devan said. “ It was the only way to get out of the situation I was in. He said, ‘you might not agree with the coaches, but you have to do something about it.”
He took his father’s words to heart as he began turning up the intensity level in practice. For a month, he was determined to show the coaches something every day, whether it was diving for a loose ball or making a key pass on a fast break play. Carter basically made a statement on why he should have more minutes on the playing court.
The results didn’t show right away as Carter averaged just less than four minutes of playing time again in a late-season three game stretch. However, it was a different story once the conference tournament rolled around.
Carter not only noticed a difference in his play in Charleston, but veteran coach Bobby Cremins, head coach of College of Charleston, and former head man for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, pulled the sophomore guard aside following the semifinal game.
“He just told me I had so much potential and I could be one of the best players in the league if I keep working hard,” Carter said. “That meant a lot coming from him because he is such a great coach and he took time to say that. That will further my efforts to get better.”
The former Morehead Panther has more motivation now that the offseason is here. He went through the growing pains during the season, but believes it will be worth it in the long run.
“If I didn’t go through my troubles, this wouldn’t have been possible,” he said.