LSU men’s basketball will be losing a lot this offseason, with three starters and a handful of rotation players graduating.
Cam Carter, the Tigers’ first big addition, will seek to alleviate some of that loss, as he’ll be transferring over from Kansas State to use his final year of eligibility with LSU.
READ MORE: LSU men’s basketball adds Kansas State guard Cam Carter in the transfer portal
The Louisiana native is a 6-foot-3 guard who was a key cog for a Kansas State team that made the National Invitation Tournament while competing in one of the nation’s toughest conferences.
It’s hard to imagine Carter not immediately stepping into a starting role at LSU.
He was a mainstay for the Wildcats, playing a remarkable 35.4 minutes per game this season and starting all 70 of Kansas State’s matches over the last two seasons.
So what can he offer LSU?
After being a role player in his sophomore year, Carter’s role expanded on offense this season. He jumped from 6.5 points per game to 14.6, which was second on the team and No. 11 in the Big 12.
Despite those scoring numbers, Carter was seldom a primary ball handler for Kansas State. Most of his shot attempts came off the catch, with him either quickly driving or shooting.
Kansas State employed a free-flowing, five-out offense, so no one was really the dominant ball handler. Still, a secondary role was appropriate for Carter and should probably be what he does at LSU.
Carter was best when his mindset offensively was to catch and quickly slash, as he does in many of these clips. He has the ability to smoothly get downhill and attack a closeout, and once he gets to the rim, he can either finish or dump off to someone else.
Sparingly, Carter saw time as the ball handler in pick and roll. He showed good decision-making there, and it’s something that LSU should explore more.
Ultimately, though, Carter will be at his best when he’s making quick decisions off the catch, not directing the offense, as his high turnover rate (three per game) would indicate.
Carter will be a potent scoring option regardless for an LSU team that needs it. Carter’s scoring this year, however, came on poor efficiency, with him making only 39.1% of his shots.
That number might make it seem like Carter is a shot-chucker of sorts, that he makes poor decisions or settles for tough shots.
In truth, there’s not much to be concerned about with Carter’s shot selection. He takes quality shots; however, he isn’t an elite shot-maker.
He shot only 30.9% from 3-point range this year, with most of those shots relatively open. He made a solid 45.6% of his shots inside the arc, but still struggled to finish at times against length at the rim.
Carter was used very often as a catch-and-shoot option for Kansas State, and attempted 5.6 3-pointers per game, more than anyone on LSU this year. He also has ability as a movement shooter.
He’s comfortable shooting, and he’s plenty capable of making those shots. He had 10 games this season where he made three or more 3-pointers. However, he’s been streaky, and more consistency this upcoming season would go a long way for LSU.
One of Carter’s greatest strengths is as a transition player on both ends. Defensively, he’s aware of where to position himself to snuff out the offense’s fast break opportunity, and he fills lanes well on offense.
When he has the ball in his hands in transition, though, his athleticism shines. He bursts through crowds and finishes well.
As is clear by his five rebounds per game last year, Carter is also an active rebounder. On the below play, you can see him put in effort for a long rebound and then make the smart play in transition.
On defense, Carter’s best attribute is his ability to hold up as an on-ball defender in isolation. His combination of length and discipline ensures that he stays in front of offensive players. He wasn’t used as Kansas State’s defensive ace, but opponents couldn’t pick on him.
Carter keeps strong and doesn’t bite on dribble moves on the perimeter. In the post, he does a good job of staying sturdy when he’s attacked even when facing a size disadvantage.
Defensively, he has good hands, which contributed to him averaging 1.4 steals per game.
In contrast, Carter’s off-ball defense is unspectacular. His motor there doesn’t stand out (though, again, he frequently played almost the entire game), and he sometimes can die on screens or get lost in space, leading to open shots.
Overall, Carter is an impactful player who can add a lot to LSU. Though he has room to grow in some regards, his experience is something the Tigers need.
