What does landing Carter tell us about Wojo, MU?

Image courtesy of Delgreco Wilson

It’s no secret that Marquette’s depth was looking to be woefully short  for the 2015-’16 season at the point guard position. Enter Traci Carter, a 6-foot point from Philly who committed to coach Steve Wojciechowski and Marquette on Tuesday.

Carter is currently ranked No. 157 according to 247 Sports, though most of the scouting reports have come to a consensus that his stock is on the rise after missing the Spring and Summer AAU circuits due to injury.

Here are some recent highlights, as always, taken with a grain of salt:

Now, there are two reasons why Carter’s commitment is fairly significant. The first goes to show Wojo’s skill on the recruiting trail. Just a few months ago, Marquette wasn’t on Carter’s radar. But after Nick Noskowiak was released from his NLI and Duane Wilson showed more prowess as a two guard, it was clear a point guard would be sorely needed.

Enter Wojo. He locked in on Carter, much as he did with Anim, and made him a priority. In a few weeks, Marquette went from out of the picture to one of the 5 visits to the official choice. That’s not luck. Wojo and the staff had a great pitch with so many minutes available, yes, but it takes some sort of sales job to recruit a player you hadn’t had much contact with. That’s huge.

The second reason Carter’s commitment is more than your run of the mill news item is that Marquette was basically barred from recruiting the Philly area after the D.J. Newbill situation with Buzz Williams. If you think that’s hyperbole, read this account from Delgreco Wilson an “old head” and mentor to student-athletes in the Philly area. In case you don’t have time here is what one of the headers reads: “Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams fucked the kid over.”

There’s a reason Marquette was barely mentioned the last three years with any players from the region. Enter Wojo. Yes, Carter currently plies his trade in New Jersey, but he is from south Philadelphia and began his high school career there. That link provides a great backstory into his recruitment and upbringing.

And while the Midwest has proven fertile for recruiting ground for Wojo (Ellenson, Heldt, Anim), opening up as many channels as possible is a very good thing.

So yes, from a team outlook next season, Carter’s addition is a timely and needed one. But looking at the big picture, this looks to be a great sign of things to come.