Brayden Carter has made an instant impact off the bench for the Skyhawks men’s basketball team, taking home this week’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week award in the process.
The junior forward leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game. He is also second on the team on the scoring end with 12 points per game.
Carter tallied 15 rebounds against Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 11, as well as four blocks and two steals this past weekend in a rematch against ENMU.
“He's big, he's fast, he has a very good basketball IQ and he's willing to mix it up and there is a very good out-of-his-area rebounder, and he just doesn’t rebound in his own area,” Skyhawks coach Bob Pietrack said. “He has a nose for the ball, so I thought he was very deserving of the award and hoping it's just the first of many for him in the Skyhawks uniform.”
Pietrack said he was very pleased with how coachable Carter has been this year and how much fun it is to be around him.
Pietrack knew Carter, who transferred from Regis University, could be a valuable contributor right away.
“He’s every bit of 6-9, he's explosive, he has great hands and exceptional foot speed for this level,” Pietrack said. “He's somebody that wants to work every day to get better. So, he's been a joy to coach.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
