Finally had a chance to see Jason in person vs. a scrappy, tough DeSales team.
He appears to be an honest 6'7". He does have some muscle on him. He might add a few pounds as he matures but he doesn't need much. There is nothing awkward about him. Moves well and has agility. Excellent, I mean excellent jumping ability. Highlight of the game was his block under the basket of 6'8" Caden Sanchez' attempt to power a layup in high off the backboard.
Jason was obviously the best player on the floor. He's got all the skills. Can move well with/without the ball. Sees the court very well. Good passer. OK shooter right now. Can work it inside. Looks like he can create shots.
But...but...
Needs to be in the gym shooting free throws! I think he was something like 5-9. He does not dominate (or at least didn't last nite) the way someone with his skills should. Of course, a lot of that is dictated by what offense they're running, the defense they're facing, etc. The Johnnies aren't the NBA...they don't run sets where Jason gets the ball and everyone else clears out. I would have liked to have seen him a bit more active on the defensive boards.
In fact, he's one of those kids who you look at and say, "Gosh, he's really good, but it looks like he can be a lot better." He has a nice shot, but it can be better. He can rebound, but he can do more on the boards. He can shoot free throws better. Maybe develop an attitude of, OK fellas, follow me, I'm taking over this game. I'm being a bit tough here, and again it's based only on what I saw last nite.
His value was clear last nite. Johnnies were up about 4 with 6 mins to go in the third qtr when Jason picked up his third foul and went to the bench. I believe they were down 10 when he came back in at the start of the fourth. Note to coach: You needed to get him back in earlier and have faith that he could avoid fouling out. The game was pretty much decided by the time he came back.
Ended with either 19 or 21 points, 8-10 rebounds. Even with missing time with fouls, coulda been more...
Overall, Carter looks like the type of kid Saul loves. He's a darn good player right now, but if he works hard to improve/refine his skills I think he could develop into a first team all MAC player and maybe POY. The potential is definitely there.
Last Edited: 12/9/2015 1:14:17 PM by brucecuth