COLLEGE PARK, Md.聽— As the world was learning about how great freshman point guard Melo Trimble was last season, with Maryland clawing its way back into the NCAA Tournament field for the first time in five years, there was an open secret around College Park.
The best player in the program wasn鈥檛 even playing yet.
That knowledge may have been overshadowed by the arrival of freshman phenom Diamond Stone and Duke transfer Rasheed Suilamon, but 2015 brought another new member to the Terps鈥� starting lineup. If you didn鈥檛 know who Robert Carter Jr. was coming into the season, you certainly do now. Maryland鈥檚 second-leading scorer and leading rebounder might be the key for the now second-ranked Terrapins鈥� chances at a deep run in March.
鈥淗e was a guy I felt I had to have, had to get,鈥� head coach .
But Carter is a far more complete player and athlete now than he was when he first arrived on campus. How he聽got to this point in an interesting case study in sports science, nutrition and analytics.
***
鈥淲hen I decided to come to Maryland, I knew we had a chance to be good with the recruiting class that was coming in,鈥� Carter says after a nine-point, seven-rebound, 18-minute tuneup in a 31 point win over Bowie State earlier this week. 鈥淏ut things fell into place even better. I had no expectation that we were going to be a top five team to start the season. 鈥�
Carter joined Maryland after a solid freshman year at Georgia Tech. Just as a mass exodus of transfers were leaving College Park, Carter swam against the stream, seeing an opportunity. As part of his decision, though, he would lose his sophomore year of eligibility and be forced to sit out.
That year might have been the most important part of Carter鈥檚 development.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 let Robert call it a year off,鈥� says KyleTarp, Maryland鈥檚 director of basketball performance. 鈥淚t was a 鈥榞et better鈥� year.鈥�
Just as the Maryland program took on a new shape, so did Carter.
According to the 2013-14 Georgia Tech roster, Carter was 6-foot-8, 250 pounds as a freshman in Atlanta. He posted a solid 11.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, but was more of a classic post player, banging bodies inside. The key to unlocking his potential came in transforming his body type to one that could accomplish more than a traditional big man is expected to do.
Thankfully, Carter had a foundation that allowed for that transition, one that began years ago.
鈥淲hen I was growing up my father just tried to teach me everything,鈥� Carter says. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 know how tall I was going to be, so he put me at point guard, he let me handle the ball, I shot the ball, dribbled the ball, different things like that. And as I continued to grow, got to middle school, high school, I started to play in the post, develop that aspect of my game. It was just the best of both worlds.鈥�
But to unlock Carter’s full聽potential, Tarp needed to physically remake聽him.
鈥淭he first thing we did was identify areas and determine what we needed to do to improve them,鈥� says Tarp.
Before any weights or exercises, that meant cleaning up Carter鈥檚 diet. Tarp focused on increasing Carter鈥檚 hydration, cutting out excess sugars and other calories, and putting him on a better schedule for when to eat.
鈥淲hen you finally decide to eat right, just knowing what to eat, that鈥檚 more than half the battle to lose weight,鈥� says Carter. 鈥淢y nutrition got really tight and the weight just started to come off. Then we added physical conditioning and weight training, different things like that. It all just came together.鈥�
By the time this year rolled around, Carter stood at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, visibly leaner and stronger than he had ever been. Tarp says he鈥檚 the strongest guy on the team, but that ultimately it鈥檚 not about how strong or fast you can prove yourself in a drill.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not training for the test, we鈥檙e training for the game,鈥� explains Tarp, who then relays the fundamental question that defines his training and nutrition decisions.
鈥淐an we create an athlete that can be more successful in Coach Turgeon鈥檚 system?鈥�
***
Basketball is at a turning point, as teams at all levels of the sport are following the combination of the analytics revolution and the Golden State Warriors-ification of the game. And while , everyone is .
There are a number of oversized wings across college hoops, including even the Terps鈥� own Jake Layman, whose 6-foot-9 frame聽makes him聽a tough guard. But few have the low post training and discipline to create Green鈥檚 overall presence in the way that Carter does.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the strongest guy on the team right now in the traditional sense, but he can do a lot of things that 6鈥�9鈥�, 235-pound guys can鈥檛 usually do,鈥� says Tarp.
In last month鈥檚 enormous home win over #3 Iowa, Trimble struggled, going just 2-7 from the floor and dishing out only three assists. Despite fouling out late in the game, Carter scored a game-high 17 to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Coming out of the under-8 minute timeout tied at 50, Carter had a steal and knocked down a pair of jumpers, putting聽Maryland in front. Out of the under-4, he blocked an Anthony Clemens three-pointer that would have given Iowa the lead, then fed Jake Layman for a layup, ensuring the Terps would never trail again.
And he did all that while locking down national player of the year candidate Jarrod Uthoff to a season-low nine points on 2-13 from the floor.
Carter has scored in double figures in 20 of Maryland鈥檚 25 games, tied with Stone for the most on the team. He鈥檚 grabbed seven or more rebounds 14 times. But perhaps more impressively, and more to indicative of the versatile performer he has become, he鈥檚 had at least one assist, block and steal in the same game nine times, scoring at least eight points and grabbing at least four boards in each.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 a little different from everybody, so we fit together that way,鈥� says Carter. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 a little different, but we all jell together in our own way.鈥�
When Diamond Stone was limited to 15 minutes because of foul trouble, Carter pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds in a 62-56 overtime win against Northwestern.
When Wisconsin jumped in front in the final 10 minutes of their meeting in Madison, Carter came up with three blocks, a rebound and an assist in 42 seconds, helping Maryland pull away.
Against the formidable front line of #18 Purdue, Carter stretched the floor, burying a pair of early threes and finishing 4-6 from deep as the rest of his team missed all 12 of their long-range shots. His 35.1 three-point percentage is actually better than Trimble鈥檚, trailing only Sulaimon among the starting five.
And that鈥檚 why Carter is so important. Maryland may have the most talented starting five in the country. But when one of them struggles 鈥� any one of them 鈥� Carter has the skill set to help fill the void. It was all on display in his best offensive game of the year, a blowout of Ohio State.
That鈥檚 crucial as the team looks ahead to the NCAA Tournament. Even if they snag a 1 or 2 seed, the Terps will likely need to beat six consecutive 20-win teams to bring the first national championship since 2002 back to College Park. You can be sure that not every player will put together six good games. But Carter provides insurance against the inevitable.
***
The year spent waiting, spent getting better, practicing without the reward of playing, might be the best thing that ever happened to not just Carter, but the Terps as well.
鈥淚 thought the send out year for me was going to be a big year for me to be able to get my body right, get to know this team and lead them this year,鈥� Carter says.
Tarp also believes it got his mind right. Carter鈥檚 leadership has shown up聽through his passion聽for聽working hard and improving himself.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had anybody as consistent as Robert in terms of his effort and his enthusiasm,鈥� says Tarp. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the most fun athletes I鈥檝e been around.鈥�
If Carter can help lift the Terps to their full potential, there will be plenty more fun in College Park this year.
