Eli Carter Named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week
Jan 02 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (January 2, 2012) - Rutgers freshman guard Eli Carter (Paterson, N.J.) was named the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week on Monday after averaging 27.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals while shooting 50 percent (21-of-42) to help the Scarlet Knights to a 1-1 record. Currently averaging a team-best 13.5 points-per-game, he has scored in double figures in eight consecutive contests.
Carter shot 12-of-24 to score a career-high 31 points to help Rutgers to an 85-83 double overtime over No. 10 Florida on Thursday (Dec. 29) evening at the RAC. The scoring output marked the most for an RU freshman in a game since Quincy Douby posted 35 in an overtime 84-81 NIT semifinal win over Iowa State in 2004 and signaled the most for an RU freshman in a regular season contest since Tom Savage scored 33 points in an 87-72 win over St. Bonaventure on Feb. 22, 1988. Carter played 46 of a possible 50 minutes against the Gators and added seven rebounds with seven assists.
On Sunday (Jan. 1) in the BIG EAST opener at USF, Carter shot nine-of-18, including four-of-nine from behind the arc, to score a game-high 23 points. He also had a game-high five steals versus the Bulls. Carter scored 18 second half points on seven-of-nine field goals, helping the Scarlet Knights respond to a nine point deficit.
“Certainly, we found somebody, that in this league, you have to have,” said head coach Mike Rice after the USF game. “You have to have somebody, that when things go wrong, you give them the ball and positive things happen…He really let the flow come to him in the second half. He’s somebody who, hopefully, will be as consistent as he was in the second half and continue. He’s going to be a handful in the future.”
Carter is the first Scarlet Knight to garner BIG EAST weekly accolades thus far this season.
