A Key Piece to the Puzzle: Checking in with Marquise Carter

Perhaps no other 2010 recruit has generated as much interest and anticipation as Marquise Carter. The highly-coveted JC point guard received scholarship offers from some of the top programs in the Big 12, and he will immediately provide depth and experience at an important position. With expectations very high for the upcoming season in Spokane, we took the opportunity to check in with Marquise and get his feel for the upcoming season, as well as learn more about what made him such a coveted prospect.

Slipper Still Fits: With offers from so many quality schools, why was Gonzaga ultimately your decision? What were the final schools you considered before committing?

Marquise Carter: I agree, some of the schools that were interested were pretty big, but going on the visit to Gonzaga sealed it for me. I like the city of Spokane, players, coaches and felt like I can fit in pretty easily. I followed the history of the school as well, and they're a winning program. The final schools I was considering were Oklahoma, Baylor, and Texas A&M.

Slipper Still Fits: After you committed, there were some reports that you might have been reconsidering your decision. Was there any point in which you thought about taking other official visits before signing?

Marquise Carter: Um yes, I was going to take a visit to Oklahoma before actually making my decision. The reason for that is because i had coaches and family telling me that I should see what other schools are like before just making a decision. What reallly made me consider going on a visit to OU was my brother. He told me that I should just go check it out and just go. But I knew Gonzaga was where I wanted to be, so I didn't even waste their time.

Slipper Still Fits: What position are you most comfortable playing in the back court? Would you categorize yourself as a scoring PG or as more of a combo guard?

Marquise Carter: Coming up in high school, I really played both positions and was sort of a combo guard. My senior year, I kinda got moved to the PG, and became really comfortable at that position throughout senior year and my Juco years. I would categorize myself as a point guard and that's it. I feel I can score when I need to, but I love to get my teammates buckets, and I love to have guys around me who can really finish and make plays. I'm not really use to having that, but when I was on my visit I noticed that these guys were really good at that and I loved it.

Slipper Still Fits: When did Gonzaga start to seriously recruit you and make a scholarship offer? Which coaches from Gonzaga were most involved in your recruitment?

Marquise Carter: Not sure when the exact date was, but it was a time period where there were a lot of schools calling my high school coaches and my coaches at Three Rivers. Coach Lloyd was a little bit more serious then the others were and I liked it. I don't really remember the time they made the offer.

Slipper Still Fits: What are your expectations for the team for the upcoming season? With four starters returning and lots of depth, how good can this team be?

Marquise Carter: My expectations for this year's team is to win. Last year they were really talented and I feel this year's team can be as well. With all the pieces we have, I feel we can make a good run and have a very good chance in doing big things this year. Coming together and playing together is key and if we do that, we will be fine, I think. The four starters returning is key. They have experience and they have have been through it all so they know what to expect.