Spring Break
Carter takes control
By: Michael Teague
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Sports
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In her first collegiate season, Carter averaged 4.3 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game while coming off the bench. With starting point guard Sydney Colson hampered with a knee injury, Carter was forced to step up and produce as a freshman. Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair emphasized how difficult it is for a first-year player to perform at the level Carter did last season.
"Carter basically saved the year for us," Blair said. "She had no chance to think about it because she was just thrown to the wolves early. We would have lost that first game against LSU if she hadn't come off the bench and given us 12 points in 22 minutes."
With a full season under her belt, Sydney Carter said she is ready to become more of a leader on the team.
"At the 'one' position [Blair] is looking for me to make my team better," Carter said. "He's told me before he really wants me out there to make the team better and to not worry about myself. I want to make everyone else around me better. He's looking for me to step up into more of a leadership role this year because I am more experienced and more confident."
Carter's success off the bench means the sophomore may find herself in the starting lineup this season. Blair has been working with Carter at the two spot in the off-season, trying to increase her offensive production. Colson compares Carter's skill set to that of former A&M star Takia Starks.
"On this team, she's supposed to be at the 'two' position but a lot of the time she's up there handling the ball," Colson said. "It was something that Starks did so well. She comes off, and her footwork is perfect. She's fast and pretty much guaranteed to knock it down."
In her new role at the "two" guard, Carter's focus will shift away from distributing the ball toward putting points on the board.
"I'm just looking to make a good transition," Carter said. "[Blair] knows I can play the 'one' position, but he's looking for me to adjust and not to just be a pass-first person. He wants me to look to shoot the ball more and be more of a scorer."
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