Forward Robert Carter Jr. throws down a dunk during Maryland Madness at Xfinity Center on Oct. 17, 2015.
It had become Robert Carter Jr.’s routine. Practice with his Terrapins men’s basketball teammates and then nestle into his seat along the bench every game.
The Georgia Tech transfer had to sit out last season per NCAA rules and was relegated to a cheerleading role during the Terps’ 35 games. But it didn’t stop the 6-foot-9 forward from committing to changing his body in the weight room.
The redshirt junior has shed about 20 pounds since his time in a Yellow Jackets uniform, and now he’s finally going to get his chance to showcase himself in a competitive game when the Terps host Southern New Hampshire in an exhibition Friday.
“I’m very excited. Been looking forward to it for a long time,” Carter said. “It’s amazing to see now that we are here. I’m just excited to get out on the court with these guys.”
READ MORE: Carter brings leadership, unique skill set to Terps
Carter is one of a host of newcomers that will get their first taste of playing at Xfinity Center against another college team before the season opener Nov. 13 against Mount St. Mary’s.
“Rob’s seen it from the sideline, but he’s never played in it,” forward Jake Layman said. “They are all very excited.”
Friday’s contest is less about the result against the Division II foe and more about the fresh faces getting their first chance to mesh together with the spotlight on. They know it will only get bigger as the season progresses.
When the Terps held media day on Oct. 20, coach Mark Turgeon preached the importance of his group developing chemistry. He said they are continuing to progress in that area before practice Thursday.
But multiple guys missed portions of summer practices, which Turgeon said has them “a little bit behind.”
“Off the court, I think everyone loves each other,” Layman said. “But I think on the court, just kind of knowing how guys play is one thing that we still need to work on.”
It will also provide an opportunity for guys to get re-acclimated to the college game. Still, Carter maintains that he isn’t rusty after more than a year without playing a competitive contest.
In fact, he believes his conditioning has made him a stronger player than the then-Georgia Tech sophomore, who averaged 11.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
“I think I’m much better,” Carter said. “I don’t think I got rusty. I didn’t have time to get rusty. [I] played a lot, just not a lot on TV.”
It wasn’t easy for Carter to sit out while the Terps compiled the most regular-season wins in school history, but the Georgia native said he came to College Park because he wanted to play for a good team.
On Thursday, Carter admitted he couldn’t have imagined they would be a top-three team this season when he first committed. Now he’s one of the vocal leaders of the hyped bunch.
Plus, when the opening whistle blows Friday, he won’t be relegated to last season’s regimen.
“I always dream about playing basketball,” Carter said. “That’s what I dream about at night.”
