Vanderbilt extends offer to 2022 Chase Carter
The Vanderbilt coaching staff showed again that they are not afraid to go in early after a younger player when they extended an offer to 2022 forward, Chase Carter.
The 6-foot-6 rising sophomore out of Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis picked up two offers on Friday: one from the Commodores and the other from Minnesota. They join Florida, West Virginia, and Hampton.
Since Jerry Stackhouse has taken over at the helm of the Vandy program, he and his staff have been no strangers to the state of Minnesota. They have offered Jalen Suggs, Dawson Garcia, and Kerwin Walton in the 2020 Class, Chet Holmgren in 2021, Carter and Prince Aligbe in 2022.
Interestingly enough, Suggs, Holmgren, Aligbe, and Carter all play for Minnehaha Academy and the Grasstoors Sizzle AAU team out of the Twin Cities. For starters, that sounds like teams that very few people would want to play, and programs which should see a lot of Stackhouse and his assistants.
The last point is not lost on Randy Carter who not only coaches at Minnehaha, but is also Chase's father.
"Chase played 16U for Grassroots Sizzle. Jalen Suggs' younger team. So Stackhouse has been in communication with these guys all of the time. Since he got the job he's been coming around and he's been saying, 'Hey, we've got to get into Minnesota. We've got to see theses kids. We've got to see what's going on.' Now he's thinking we're going to try to get these kids young and recruiting them, and let them know that we're interested. Let them know that we would love to have them play."
Coach Carter told VandySports.com that he not only likes how Stackhouse is recruiting his players but also the fact that he is not scared to go in early after them.
"I like what Stackhouse is trying to do, just trying to turn the program around. In today's game, you've got to start young. Coaches are super-reluctant to do it because we're old school. Do you know how much could possibly change in the next two years? But as a coach you have to ask yourself if you're going to take that chance or not."
The father is a basketball lifer who besides coaching and playing with the Gophers also spent time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was able to critique his son's game from not only a coach's perspective but from his own playing experiences.
"When you watch him, Chase is a kid for me that doesn't jump off the pages at you. He's just a solid all around kid. He's and IQ kid that does everything. He's. a 6-6 post player. He's a 6-6- power forward with the ability to handle the ball and shoot the three. More importantly though he's. a playmaker. The player that comes to mind when we talk about when people talk about Chase; he's a poor man's Draymond Green. When I say poor man, you understand what I'm saying. He's not there yet, not even close. But his ability at the end of any given night, Chase's typical stat line will be 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and will take 3 charges, 1 block. He's been such a late bloomer. He's still coming into his body. For me, that has been the best part of his game. He hasn't been able to rely on athleticism. He has to think the game. So footwork, post moves, understanding where everybody is on the floor, kind of like a point forward."
Coach Carter admits he tries to keep his son humble, but what is not in doubt is that a rising sophomore already picking up four Power Five offers is impressive.
"There's a lot of potential there. When you watch this kid play, and the little things that he does, it's like I see if this kid continues to develop this is going to be a problem. I think that's. what people are seeing. I'm probably his biggest critic. I'm like we've got to do better. We've got to do better. So right now he has to continue to push himself and develop. I think a lot of this is still based on potential because his upside is what's crazy."
That upside should continue to be realized as he competes with an against top flight competition each day at Minnehaha.
"For sure the challenge of practicing," Coach Carter explained. "The challenge of practice everyday where you're playing against Jalen and Chet and Prince. We have the number one football player in the state. He play's basketball. I coach at Minnehaha, so practices are definitely more intense, more physical. We've had to sit down and have a conversation like we'd love to have you at Minnehaha, but Minnehaha is going to be an adjustment. It's going to be tough. This isn't about dad. This is your way. He's walking away from playing thirty minutes a night to having to fight for play8ing time with these guys. In the long run I think it is going to be a good thing. It's going to prepare him because initially, I think he is going to have some frustrating days over there against see studs. He's playing against some studs every night in practice."
Carter is now the fourth player in the 2022 Class that Vanderbilt has offered along with Prince Aligbe, Jett Howard, and Kijani Wright.
Note: Carter is No. 21 for Sizzle in the following video.