Class Of 2012 Player Watch: Keith Carter

May 30, 2009 

10:00 P.M. CST

Everyone who is familiar with the basketball history and tradition at Proviso East High School in Maywood, IL knows that the school has produced a long line of top-flight guards, many of whom have gone on to enjoy huge success at the college level and in some cases the NBA as well.  There are Glenn "Doc" Rivers, Michael Finley, Dee Brown, Shannon Brown, and Jacob Pullen just to name a few.  And after watching 6'0 class of 2012 point guard Keith Carter today at the Riverside-Brookfield Summer Shootout, we believe that the time has come to add him to that lucrative list.

Carter first burst onto the scene with a serious of outstanding performances this past March which saw him lead Proviso East to a Class 4A regional championship after being called up to the varsity just prior to the start of the state tournament.  In an event which also featured several other top guards from throughout the Chicago area, including 6'1 class of 2011 point guard Tracy Abrams from Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago, 6'5 class of 2010 shooting guard Alex Rossi from New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL and 5'9 class of 2011 point guard Jay Parker from Thornton Township High School in Harvey, IL, Carter was hands down the player of the day on the first day of the shootout at R-B.  Ironically enough, Carter led his team to victory in contests versus both Rossi and Parker.

To put things simply, Carter has the makings of a special player.  What makes him special is that he has the ability to play either guard spot effectively.  He is a point guard first and foremost and his ability to drive and dish may be unparalleled by any other player in the state his age.  Not only that, but he plays under control and while he has superb scoring capability, he plays unselfishly and thinks pass first.

Although we love Carter's playmaking skills, he also showed us that he can be equally effective when moved over to the off-guard position.  He has a sweet looking shooting stroke, range that extends well beyond the 3-point arc and the ability to get his shot coming off the dribble in addition to spotting up.

Finally, we also give extremely high marks to Carter's demeanor.  He is calm, cool and collected on the court and shows tremendous poise.  Simply put, he possesses all of the leadership traits that any coach would look for in a floor general.  We also really like Carter's physical build, as he is put together like a strong safety in football.

It is for all of these reasons that Carter clearly ranks as one of the top prospects in Illinois from the class of 2012.  In fact, more than one notable observer in attendance at the Riverside-Brookfield Summer Shootout told us that they think Carter is better than Antonio "Bobo" Drummond from Central High School in Peoria, IL.  We do not mean any disrespect whatsoever to Drummond, but at this point we whole-heartedly agree.

Additional Note

 ... Ron Ashlaw, the varsity boy's basketball coach at Waukegan, told us today that the way things look right now, Jereme Richmond will still be at Waukegan next season.  However, he also acknowledged that whether Richmond stays at Waukegan or ends up at Findlay Prep in Henderson, NV next season could come down to how well he does with his second semester grades, the results of which he is still awaiting.  Moral to the story?  This one may still have yet to play itself out.

We will have additional thoughts and analysis from the Riverside-Brookfield Summer Shootout tomorrow, so stay tuned!

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