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Carter wraps up his career on a good not at MSU-Billings By Don Hunt Dan Carter will always believe that he could have been an impact player at the Division I level of college basketball. But fearful that he would never get the chance to prove it, Carter left the University of Montana last year and enrolled at Montana State-Billings. It was a move the former North Medford High star will never regret. Carter wrapped up his college basketball career on Feb. 24 with 38 points and 10 rebounds in leading Montana State- Billings to a 135-82 victory over Western New Mexico. It was a fitting end to an exceptional season for the 6-foot-7, 240-pound power forward, who on Friday was named to a regional all-star team that includes players from 28 teams across the West. "He was the heart and soul of our team," Montana State- Billings coach Craig Carse says of Carter. "He�s the best interior player I�ve seen in this conference (Pacific West) in the six years I�ve been at Billings. "My only regret is that he played here just one year. I wish I had him for another 10." Carter averaged 21.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets, who posted an 18-9 record but missed the Division II playoffs by one game. Carter�s numbers, which included 61 percent shooting from the field and 80 percent marksmanship from the free- throw line, were similar to the ones he put up at Lane Community College in Eugene after graduating from North Medford High in 1997. Carter led Lane to a two-year record of 56-10 while averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and was named the MVP of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges both years. He then transferred to Montana, a Division I school in Missoula, but got lost in the shuffle of quicker, more athletic post players. "I knew very early in the season that I wasn�t going to get to play very much," Carter says. "The coach (Don Holst) made that clear from the things he said in the paper and the media guide. I felt like I was better than two of the three post players in front of me, but I never got a chance to prove it." Carter averaged just four minutes and 3.7 points per game for the Grizzlies. Worse, he got so depressed that he quit going to class. "I was at the lowest point of my life," he says. "I just never felt comfortable there and knew I had to get out." The one positive thing Carter took from Montana was the low post coaching he got from former NBA player Larry Krystkowiak, an assistant with the Grizzlies. "He taught me how to use my body a lot more effectively," Carter says. Carter checked out several schools and there was something about Montana State-Billings that caught his eye. Maybe it was its racehorse style of play that has seen the Yellow Jackets average 109 points per game in their home gym over the past six years. Maybe it was the success story of former St. Mary�s High star Jamie Stevens, who racked up a school record 804 assists and 167 steals in his four seasons and 110 games with the Yellow Jackets. Or maybe it was Carse, a demanding, yet fair-minded coach who has posted a 111-55 record in six seasons at Montana State-Billings. "The first time I talked to him (Carse) he was real up-front with me," Carter says. "He doesn�t care what kind of star you�ve been in the past, he won�t play you if you don�t work hard in practice and in school. "And that was fine by me. All I wanted was a chance to play." Carse�s biggest concern was that Carter had only one season of eligibility. "He was given a rigorous expectation level and he passed with flying colors," Carse says. "He came here last spring and did everything we asked him to do � athletically, academically and attitude-wise." Although Carter isn�t known for his quickness, he was still able to flourish in the Yellow Jackets� up-tempo style of play. The team launched an average of 20 3-point shots per game, but was still able to get the ball to their big man on a consistent basis. "The first time you see Dan on the court you�re not overly impressed because he�s not real quick and he doesn�t jump very high," Carse says. "But then you realize what a multi-dimensional offensive player he is. He plays the game with both hands, he�s got great touch around the basket, he seals very well on the block and he can come to the perimeter and hit the 3-pointer. "And anytime a big kid shoots 80 percent from the line, it�s a plus." Carter, who is on spring break this week, will return to Billings in the fall and earn his degree in business. He�ll then consider pursuing a masters degree in business administration or sports management and may become a graduate assistant coach with the Yellow Jackets. "I still want to be affiliated with basketball," he says. "But right now I�m looking forward to taking a year off." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.