LSU guard Cam Carter ‘grateful’ for warm welcome (and a win) in return to K-State
Cam Carter didn’t know where to go after he led LSU to a 76-65 victory over Kansas State on Thursday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Even though he had played numerous games inside the Octagon of Doom during his college basketball career, this was the first time he celebrated a win inside the visiting locker room.
When an LSU staffer informed the K-State transfer guard that a reporter wanted to interview him and fans were lined up for pictures, he needed directions around an unfamiliar part of an arena he used to call home.
That was just about the only thing that didn’t go perfectly for Carter on a day when he scored 20 points, grabbed four rebounds and got a standing ovation from fans even though he was wearing an away uniform.
“It was electric,” Carter said. “Just seeing the crowd and how they cheered for me in the beginning and then they how they cheered against me. It’s always tough playing here. I’m just grateful that God gave me a chance to play in my home state and come back here to my second home.”
Perhaps K-State fans made him feel a little too welcome, because Carter went on to have a great game at his old stomping grounds.
K-State students usually pretend they are reading newspapers and boo when the visiting team’s starting lineup is announced inside Bramlage Coliseum, but they broke from that tradition when Carter was introduced before this game.
Fans rose to their feet and greeted him with a standing ovation.
It was a cool moment for everyone involved. K-State fans showed their gratitude to a player who spent the past two seasons making big plays for the Wildcats. They obviously still remember everything he did as a sophomore, when he helped coach Jerome Tang reach the Elite Eight, and as a junior, when he was a major contributor for a team that played in the NIT.
“One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my time in coaching was when he was announced in starting lineups and the whole place gave him a standing ovation,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “I think that’s a great credit to this fan base here in Manhattan. It really was one one of the best things I’ve seen.”
Carter flashed a smile when heard the cheers and shook hands with his former teammates.
But then things got intense.
K-State players defended Carter hard for the entire 34 minutes that he was on the floor. And he responded with the same energy.
Late in the game, he got in a dust-up with K-State forward Coleman Hawkins when they collided near midcourt as LSU was trying to dribble out the clock on a possession. Later, they exchanged words as they were walking off the floor.
But Carter said there were no hard feelings.
“It was crazy,” Carter said. “I heard him saying he was going to steal the ball, and I was trying to stop him from stealing the ball. I wasn’t trying to intentionally foul him. I was trying to give him a little bump to stop his path.
“It was a foul. It’s all good, though. I guess he felt some type of way. It was kind of a dirty play on my part, so I apologize.”
Carter dominated before then. He drained three shots from 3-point range and also threw down a dunk in the first half that gave his team a commanding 37-19 lead. Every time the Tigers needed a big shot, he stepped up. The former K-State basketball player seemed more comfortable in his surroundings than anyone wearing home white uniforms.
There was a reason for that.
Carter circled this game on the LSU schedule. He had no hard feelings toward K-State when he decided to transfer last spring. He wanted to play closer to his home town in Louisiana and he couldn’t do that if he remained in Manhattan.
So he left for LSU. But he didn’t forget his old team.
“For my senior season,” he said, “I just thought it was a good opportunity for me to come home and shine here.”
Carter appears to be thriving at LSU, as he leads the Tigers in scoring with more than 20 points per game.
Tang said it was surreal coaching against him after all they accomplished together over the past two seasons.
“I love Cam Carter,” Tang said, “and I am so thankful for him and what he gave to K-State. I was a little more emotional than I thought I would be seeing him. But then it (stunk) watching him play.
“I’m happy for him that he gets to play at home and his family gets to see him play. I felt like he gave us a lot while he was here, and I feel like I gave him a lot while he was here. I will be a cheerleader for him the rest of the way.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "LSU guard Cam Carter ‘grateful’ for warm welcome (and a win) in return to K-State."