DENVER – Garrett Carter was up to his old tricks again for the MSU Denver men's basketball team.
And that's yet another positive sign for the Roadrunners.
"I think he's finally starting to get his legs under him," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach
Michael Bahl said. "He missed about three months (with an offseason injury). He's starting to get in the groove. He's playing more confidently. We're expecting him to continue to develop the way he has."
Carter, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, averaged 17.0 points and 4.5 rebounds last weekend as MSU Denver picked up its first road victory of the season Friday night at CSU-Pueblo before losing the following night at 12-4 New Mexico Highlands.
It was perhaps the best weekend of the season for a guy who was still recovering from a foot injury when the season began.
"It's given me a lot of confidence," Carter said of last weekend. "I've got to give a lot of credit to my teammates. They put me in a position to do all those things."
MSU Denver (9-8 overall, 5-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) will attempt to keep its positive momentum going as it goes back on the road for games at 8 p.m. Friday at Colorado School of Mines (11-7, 7-4) and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at UCCS (10-6, 6-5).
"Last weekend boosted our confidence," Carter said. "We know our whole season is still ahead of us, and we've got a lot to play for. There's room for improvement, and we're excited to improve."
Carter who transferred to MSU Denver last season and averaged 11.6 points (second best on the team) and while leading the team at 3.5 assists per game, missed the first two games of this season, then either played sparingly or not as effectively as normal through early December.
When RMAC play began, though, he came up big in the opening weekend against Regis and Colorado Christian, averaging 14.5 points, and he averaged 13.0 points in the Roadrunners' first five league games.
After the holiday break, though, he had an off weekend on a road trip and then battled illness the following week. Then came last weekend's re-emergence.
"The injury did push me back a little bit, but I feel like I'm starting to come back mentally," Carter said. "I'm focusing on the mental aspect of my game and that's going to change things for the better.
"The injury may have played a part, but I should still be performing at a high level."
He's running slightly behind last season's offensive production at 9.6 points per game, though he's been better from 3-point range (35.8 percent this year, 30.0 percent last) and if one takes away one off night in December, his field-goal percentage would also be better this season.
As a senior with high expectations for himself and his team, many players would be frustrated in similar situations, but Carter hasn't shown it.
"He's a happy-go-lucky kid who doesn't get down too much," Bahl said. "He has a contagious personality. I think it helped him to be able to watch and see things from a different perspective when he was hurt. He's handled everything like a champ.
"He is a team-first guy, who really wants to win."
More weekends like last weekend would be just what MSU Denver needs.
"If we can get that third or fourth guy scoring for us, it would really help," Bahl said. "And he can score a lot of points quickly, and sometimes we need that."
Said Carter: "It's a mental thing for me. If I'm there mentally, I'll be there physically. I'm just trying to continue to grow, and my teammates and the coaching staff are helping me."
With a road win under its belt, MSU Denver has added confidence about stealing another road win, or perhaps two, this weekend.
"Last weekend was huge," Bahl said. "To get that first road win against a really good team – they've only lost one other game at home, to Dixie State – it was a big win for us. It was a big confidence builder to know that we can go and do it on the road.
"Going to Mines and Springs, it's a different road trip since we can sleep in our own beds and we don't have to get out of our routine. There's a lot of positives going into this weekend, and we're excited for the opportunity."
