With a growing list of in-state targets on the class of 2021 recruiting board, the Hoosiers have offered an out-of-state guard from North Carolina. Top-50 point guard Carter Whitt of the 2021 class is the latest recipient of an Indiana University offer according to Corey Evans of Rivals.com. The four-star point guard from Raleigh plays for Leesville Road High School and Team Loaded (North Carolina). According to the 247Sports Composite ranking, he is ranked 48th overall, second in the state of North Carolina, and the eight best point guard of the class.
Carter Whitt has been known name in east coast recruiting circles for some time now. Even has a player in middle school, he was compared to Jason Williams due to his unique ability to pass and handle the ball. The Hoosiers join his growing list of offers that include the likes of Virginia, Florida, Clemson, Louisville, NC State, Marquette, Ohio State, Xavier, Texas A&M, and Maryland. Point guards come at a premium and elite-level true point guards are truly foundational pieces for teams that make it deep in the NCAA tournament.
Early Returns from New Assistant Head Coach Mike Roberts?
Considering the timing of the offer and Carter Whitt’s home state, he may be one of the very first recruiting targets for Mike Roberts as a Hoosier assistant coach. With Mike Roberts spending the previous eight years in the Carolinas, Carter Whitt would have certainly been a name that he had gotten familiar with during his time with the Spartans. Competing against NC State and Clemson may have been difficult at UNC Greensboro, but having the tradition and history of Indiana Basketball would certainly create a more appealing case for Carter Whitt.
Breaking down Carter Whitt’s Game Tape
First and foremost, Carter Whitt is a pure point guard. Despite the trendiness of playing as a shooting guard or a combo guard, Whitt is one of the few guards that plays as a pure point guard, similar to Indiana’s current point guard Rob Phinisee. Currently in the 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-3 range, he still has some size to grow into before competing at the next level.
While he’s not the tallest player on the court, he has incredible speed and above-average ball control to counteract his size. Carter deploys a number of techniques – crossovers, fakes, hesitation steps, etc. – to blow by defenders, and he is smart with the ball to make sure he plays under control at all times. His low center of gravity allows him be more collected with the rock, and he rarely has “wild” plays. You can see in the film that he has no problem handling the press and aggressive guard-defense, something that a team like Illinois would use at the collegiate level.
Carter Whitt has a number of ways to score, and many of them start with him attacking his defender at the top of the key. If he has the speed to get all the way to the rim, Carter Whitt can use a variety of layups using both his right and left hands to finish. You’ll notice in the game tape that he likes using mid-air ball fakes and a wide outside layup. These are likely a result of him trying to score over taller players. His craftiness and ability to use different angles at the rim makes him a threat regardless of the number of rim protectors in the paint.
