Ian Carter is a 21 year old 198cm forward from Ft. Smith, Arkansas that was going to start his professional basketball career in Germany with Dragons Rhoendorf (Germany-ProB), but he failed the medical test yesterday and wont be wearing their jersey. He played at Drury (NCAA2) playing there from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 32 games: 9.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 2.6apg, 1.1spg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 46.5%, FT: 54.4%; 9.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 2.6apg, FG% 46.5, FT% 54.4. he won the NCAA2 title in 2013. German Hoops had the chance to talk with him this past summer before he came to Germany to play for Rhondorf.

 

 

Where are you at and how has your summer been?

 Right now I’m in Springfield, Missouri. I just got back here from Atlanta, Georgia. My summer has been great so far. I’ve just been working out and spending time with family/friends. I would say that my summer has been made since I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to continue my basketball career. That was my main goal after I graduated from Drury University in May 2014. Also, my birthday is this month so I’m pretty excited about that as well!

You just signed your first professional contract with German Pro B team Rhöndorf Dragons. How excited are you about coming to Germany?

 I’m very excited about coming to Germany! I’ve only been out of the country once and I was too young to remember. I’m eager to see what life is like outside of the United States and being able to play the game I love while experiencing a new lifestyle makes it even more awesome.

You will be the second player from Drury (NCAA2) to play in Germany after Brandon Kimbrough. What do you know about the country Germany and basketball? Do you know any players playing there?

I don’t know too much about Germany or basketball over there to be honest. Coach Kimbrough has told me that he had a great time playing basketball over there and told me that I will love it. I’m taking his word for it and expecting great things when I’m over there. I don’t know of any players over there right now

Did you have offers other than the Dragons Rhondorf? What were the main reasons for coming to Rhondorf?

 Yes. I had a few other teams interested in me. I chose to be a dragon because I felt it was the best opportunity for me. Coach Kaminski and I both want the same goals for the program which I believe is important.

Your new coach Boris Kaminski is a very experienced coach in Germany. Did you have contact to him already? What was your early impression of him?

No I didn’t have contact to him already. He found me through my agency at Worldwide Career Management. I got a solid impression from him the first time. I can tell that he cares about our program, his players, and basketball in general. A lot of coaches come off as just being a coach because it’s what provides for their family. But Coach Kaminski is very sincere and dedicated to the game which made me want to be a part of the team even more.

You had a very solid four year career at Drury (NCAA2) now you will play in the third league in Germany. Has been proving yourself on the court been a normal occurrence for you in your basketball career?

 It has definitely been a normal occurrence for a few reasons. One is that I never won a title in high school. When my name was mentioned up until we won the National Championship, winning was never next to it. I felt it was important to become a winner in the game of basketball and of course I didn’t win that National Championship by myself, but I was a key part of our team’s success. Another reason is me being an undersized post man in our league. Most of the teams we played had gigantic centers and I felt like a lot of them didn’t respect me because normally I would be a 3-4 man at any other school. I had to learn how to use my strengths, such as quickness and athleticism to make up for being a lot smaller than my opponents. I take great pride in knowing I was able to compete still.

You are only 198cm, but you’re a very skilled shot blocker. Who has always been your NBA defensive role model and where do you get your defensive skills from?

I guess I haven’t really thought about who my NBA defensive role model would be. There are a few players I always watched on defense growing up like Kobe of course, Michael Jordan, Dikembe Mutumbo, David Robinson, and Alonzo Mourning. If I had to pick my favorite to watch it would probably be someone like Dennis Rodman or Gary Payton. I’ve always been good at blocking shots ever since I started playing really. That was the one thing I could do better than anything because I was taller than everyone else.

You can do so much and when you were a sophomore, you hauled down 11 rebounds twice against William Jewel and dished out eight assists against William Jewel. Looking at all your abilities, what would you say is a hidden strength in your game that doesn’t get noticed right away?

 I would say passing is my hidden strength. I love to pass and get assists! I think its part of being a good teammate and allows me to be a player that people want to have on their team.

What was your fondest memory from the 2012-2013 Drury NCAA Division 2 championship run?

My fondest memory from the championship run was probably the actual game itself. We were down by 17 in the first half. I remember looking at Brandon Lockhart and him asking me am I going to play. That fired me up because he’s usually a pretty quiet dude on the court. For us to just come together as a team and win was insane. I remember some friends of mine telling me that they thought we were finished in the first half. Our fans were awesome too. A lot of them traveled all the way down to Atlanta and were definitely key to us coming back as well.

Drury head coach Steve Hesser coached you for four years. What one experience will you never forget where he really helped your game and will help you as a professional?

The one experience that I will never forget from Coach Hesser is him teaching me to be coachable and to be a man. Not just with basketball either, but with life as well. He was like my dad away from home from the time I was a 17 year old freshman until I graduated. I learned so much from him about the game of basketball and I could never ask for a better college coach.

You finished Drury as the all-time shot blocker with 124. When you look back at all 124 blocks, which one will you never forget? There are two I will never forget.

 The one when I broke the record and the one to win the National Championship game.

How does a normal summer work out day look like for Ian Carter on and off the court?

 I usually workout at 9 a.m. until about 11:30 a.m. six days a week. Then I lift three days a week and shoot 3 days a week in the evening.

Your favorite player is Kobe Bryant. Do you think LeBron James will win more NBA rings at the end of his career?

 Kobe is my favorite player so I have to say no regardless. But I definitely think LeBron is capable.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

 I’ve been watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix recently.

Thanks Ian for the chat.