Recruiting Report: Justin Carpenter (2017)
Mt. Carmel 2017 power forward Justin Carpenter is one of southern Illinois’ top prospects. He stands at 6’8” and is starting to fill out with strength in his upper body. He is extremely mobile and his face up ability makes…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMt. Carmel 2017 power forward Justin Carpenter is one of southern Illinois’ top prospects. He stands at 6’8” and is starting to fill out with strength in his upper body. He is extremely mobile and his face up ability makes him very intriguing at the next level with the way the college game is going. One aspect he has greatly enhanced is his ball handling. For his high school team Carpenter plays almost a point forward at times bringing the ball up where he handles it tremendously well against pressure. Smooth with the ball. Also is a plus passer that shows more of a flare for this than we had seen in the past. Athleticism and toughness combination plays well on the glass as he high points rebounds and grabs them at a quality clip. As a scoring threat he likes to face up from the mid-post and make a quick move to get by his man to the hoop. Posts up strong on the block and makes quick moves. Sound mid-range jump shooter. Defensively his length bothers opponents and has the mobility to switch on a guard when he has too. I think he is definitely a low-major D1 kid in 2017 and with a strong summer could move up into the mid-major category.
Carpenter talked about his junior season at Mt. Carmel where they won a 2A regional.
“I think we started really slow. We had to mature as a team and handle the ball better. Get better on defense and play smarter and harder. I thought we did pretty well. I just wish we could have gone farther.”
How does he feel his season went individually?
“At the beginning of the season I wasn’t as aggressive. I could tell a big difference after coach and I had a talk. I was more aggressive and started having bigger games and more of an impact. Not just scoring, but all around. Rebounding and getting the team involved. I think I really grew this season.”
The junior spoke about the improvement in his game over the last year.
“I think my decision making has gotten a lot better and I am playing a lot smarter. Not just looking for my own shot. I do pass pretty decent I feel like. I think if I keep working on my shot I will be pretty dangerous.”
Carpenter talked with us about his game and what he feels his strengths are.
“I think I play more physical than people would expect. Not just bruising people around. Working hard down low in the post whether it is rebounding, scoring, or setting screens I just try to play as hard as I can.”
Where does his recruitment stand?
“Right now I have a couple looks. No offers. I have had some schools watch me work out like Evansville, Lipscomb, and Elon.”
He knows what he will be looking for in a school.
“I really want to get my major (computer science) and make sure I fit in. Make sure the environment is what I like and has a good weight room because I need to get bigger.”
Carpenter runs on the travel team circuit with Pocket City.