By MATT JESSEN-HOWARD
MINNEAPOLIS – Wendell Carter Jr. put on quite the performance this past weekend in Minnesota for the fourth session of Nike’s EYBL. His play attracted tons of spectators – the Georgia Stars may have had the second-most spectators, only short of the hometown Howard Pulley Panthers – and for good reason.
Carter’s performance stood out, and onlookers should have been warned with a “Caution: DANGEROUS” sign on Georgia Stars’ court – literally. On Saturday, one of Carter’s dunks violently shook the entire hoop and support system for far longer than anyone close cared to be near. Throughout the course of the weekend, the 6-foot-10 2017 power forward from Atlanta (GA) Fulton Leadership Academy averaged 13.4 points and 9.6 rebounds, both of which are session-highs for him.
“I just really tried to come out and let loose,” he told SNY.tv in an exclusive interview. “The last two games that I was down here, we kind of played sluggish. I put in my mind, that it’s not happening anymore. I came in not thinking about my fouls, or my foul count. Just playing, playing, playing, I’m going to give it my all.”
Plenty of college coaches have taken notice.
“The spring’s going pretty good,” he said. “My recruitment is getting a little better. I’m getting some new looks. Kansas offered me, Vanderbilt offered me, and Wake Forest offered me [this spring]. No one’s really recruiting me the hardest because you know no one can really talk to me until June 15, but until then I’ll try to figure out who really wants me.”
Carter is naturally interested in Duke for their prestige both on and off the court. Duke is listed at 100 percent on Carter’s 247Sports.com crystal ball prediction.
“I’ve called them,” he said. “I’ve talked to [assistant coach Jeff] Capel before, and my coach texts Capel. He told them that they offered me, but I don’t know if it’s official or not.”
According to Andrew Slater of 247Sports, the offer is not official, as head coach Mike Krzyzewski is the only coach who’s able to hand out offers. Another school close to offering is Kentucky.
“They haven’t got in touch with me lately,” Carter said of Kentucky. “My coach told me that they were supposed to offer me last Monday or Tuesday. He wanted to do it over conference call, but it didn’t happen. I’m pretty sure they’re interested in me a lot though.”
Although he would not reveal a list of favorites, he did note a handful of schools that he’ll keep a close eye on.
“I guess I’m more interested in just the best schools like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and I like Harvard a lot as well,” he said. “Florida and Florida State are on my top list of schools as well.”
Photo: 247Sports.com
