 "Photo: Jon Eilts")
Coming off one of the best freshman campaigns in Texas A&M women's basketball history, guard Sydney Carter is looking to help take the Aggies to the next level this season.
In her first collegiate season, Carter averaged 4.3 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game while coming off the bench. With starting point guard Sydney Colson hampered with a knee injury, Carter was forced to step up and produce as a freshman. Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair emphasized how difficult it is for a first-year player to perform at the level Carter did last season.
"Carter basically saved the year for us," Blair said. "She had no chance to think about it because she was just thrown to the wolves early. We would have lost that first game against LSU if she hadn't come off the bench and given us 12 points in 22 minutes."
With a full season under her belt, Sydney Carter said she is ready to become more of a leader on the team.
"At the 'one' position [Blair] is looking for me to make my team better," Carter said. "He's told me before he really wants me out there to make the team better and to not worry about myself. I want to make everyone else around me better. He's looking for me to step up into more of a leadership role this year because I am more experienced and more confident."
Carter's success off the bench means the sophomore may find herself in the starting lineup this season. Blair has been working with Carter at the two spot in the off-season, trying to increase her offensive production. Colson compares Carter's skill set to that of former A&M star Takia Starks.
"On this team, she's supposed to be at the 'two' position but a lot of the time she's up there handling the ball," Colson said. "It was something that Starks did so well. She comes off, and her footwork is perfect. She's fast and pretty much guaranteed to knock it down."
In her new role at the "two" guard, Carter's focus will shift away from distributing the ball toward putting points on the board.
"I'm just looking to make a good transition," Carter said. "[Blair] knows I can play the 'one' position, but he's looking for me to adjust and not to just be a pass-first person. He wants me to look to shoot the ball more and be more of a scorer."
Whether at the "one" or "two," starting or coming off the bench, Blair is looking forward to utilizing Carter this season.
"If Carter isn't in the starting line-up, she'll be our 'sixth man,'" Blair said. "It doesn't matter. She'll play starter minutes, regardless. She's one of our veterans who knows how to play and really did a great job last year of being a freshmen and stepping in."
Carter is no stranger to playing big-time basketball in important games. As a junior at DeSoto High School, she averaged 11.9 points per game leading her team to 36-3 record. In recruitment, Blair was aware of Carter's poise and composure in big games.
"When you come from a 5-A high school and you've had very good coaching, you know what pressure is all about," Blair said. "Sometimes, these kids who come from real small schools haven't been around a lot. This kid knows what it's all about. She's from Dallas, which is one of the hotbeds for women's basketball in the country."
Coming out of high school, Carter was ranked the ninth best player in the state of Texas. Despite receiving an offer from powerhouse Louisville, Sydney decided to stay in state and headed down to Aggieland. One of the key factors in Carter's decision was finding a place where she felt comfortable.
"A big part of my decision was based on where I would fit in with the team," Carter said. "That was my main focus. Where was I going to feel like I was going to have a family outside of basketball? I always wanted to play with Colson because I always looked up to her growing up. It was just a matter of where I was going to feel more comfortable with the coaches and the team."
Despite the fact that Carter has only played one season, she has experienced more than a majority of A&M basketball players have in their entire careers. She had an action-packed freshman season that ended in the Sweet 16.
Her favorite memory however, came in February when the Aggies upset No. 2 Oklahoma 57-56 at Reed Arena. Following a last-second lay-up by Starks ("The Drive"), A&M fans stormed the court in celebration. Carter played in the game for 31 minutes racking up 11 points and three assists.
"The Oklahoma game was the biggest and greatest experience of all," Carter said. "It was the first year of my collegiate career, and it was the first time I've ever seen fans rush the court after such a win."
After getting her first year of college out of the way, Carter is settling in to being a student athlete at Texas A&M. Although she enjoys College Station, she said her favorite part about college basketball is visiting other schools.
"A lot of the times when we're traveling, we just like to have fun. I love to travel, and I didn't get to that much in high school. That is a big plus for me," she said.
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