Terps Make Eli Carter’s Final List

Eli Carter is a Ninja of sorts.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers sophomore guard Eli Carter is one of a handful of Scarlet Knight players that is transferring from the school amid the scandal involving former head coach Mike Rice and his physical abuse of players. Carter tweeted his final list of schools that he is considering and Maryland is among the final group that will be competing for the former Brewster Academy guard’s services. The group also includes Florida, Memphis, Creighton, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Carter was scheduled to have an in-home visit with the Terps on Wednesday afternoon. This was a day after he had in-home visits with Florida and Pittsburgh.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Carter, he is a remarkable talent at the guard position. The New Jersey native averaged 14.9 points-per-game to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in nearly 29 minutes per contest. Carter is balanced combo guard that can do a little of everything. First off, Carter has lightning quickness and has the ability to get to the basket whenever he wants. The former Scarlet Knight guard is a strong finisher at the rim and even when he doesn’t, he sinks his free throws at an 86.2 percent clip. He has the ability to hit shots from the outside but hasn’t lit the world on fire (39.7 percent career shooter from the field). Plain and simple, Carter is a scorer who played on a bad Rutgers team. It’s unclear if Carter will be granted immediate eligibility if he transfers due to the whole Rutgers situation.

Carter would be a huge get for Maryland if they are able to land him. With Pe’Shon Howard transferring to be closer to his family in California, the Terps could use another guard that can score the basketball and possibly distribute a little bit. Imagine the amount of athleticism with Dez Wells, Nick Faust, and Carter on the court at the same time. Now we know that Mark Turgeon loves his combo guards so I’m sure he’ll pull out all the stops to land Carter. He would be a good fit for the sole reason that he can finish at the rim. More times this past season, we saw many Terps players failing to finish at the basket aside from Wells. It would make for an interesting lineup quandary with the amount of talented guards that Maryland will have next year. Wells, Faust, Seth Allen, Roddy Peters, and possibly Carter could make for a crowded backcourt next year. Regardless, you have to pull out all the stops and try to land a guy like Carter.

Now the question becomes: can the Terps actually land Carter?

Personally, I think that the chances of Maryland landing Carter aren’t great. The Rutgers guard is a hot commodity on the open market and the fact that programs like Florida and Pittsburgh are interested speaks volumes about the talent of this kid. Turgeon has had a tremendous amount of luck in terms of transfers during his short tenure in College Park. If he can land a talent like Carter, he is will truly be a wizard of recruiting. It’s going to be extremely tough to outdo the likes of Florida, Pittsburgh, and Memphis. But if the Terps can reel this one in, it would be a monumental accomplishment.