Dantae Carson bounced around more than some basketballs that hit the back iron and other portions of the rim before falling through the hoop.
A student-athlete with a passion for basketball, Carson’s high school career began as a freshman at West Iredell. He ended up at Statesville Christian School last year after a previous stop at Mooresville.
“It’s been kind of hard,” admitted Carson, who’s in the midst of a phenomenal senior season with the Lions, averaging better than 20 points a game. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to the right place and like being there.”
The parade of transfers wasn’t solely linked to basketball, he said. For him, it was all about finding the right mix of athletic and academic environments.
At West Iredell, where he spent his freshman and sophomore years, Carson felt the hard work he said he put forth in practice wasn’t rewarded. Quite the opposite, he said, noting he was demoted to junior varsity after starting the first five games as freshman on the varsity team.
“I worked my butt off, too,” Carson said.
In 2009, he transferred to Mooresville, where he joined the Blue Devils’ varsity basketball squad. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 assists per game as junior.
Carson believes he wasn’t placed in the classes he needed to prepare for college at Mooresville, but rather “to keep me on the basketball court.”
His father knew SCS athletic director Derone McNeill and asked Carson to consider the private institution on Museum Road.
“I’d driven past this place probably 100 times and didn’t know it was a school,” Carson said sheepishly.
He transferred to SCS and reclassified as a junior in 2010. He didn’t lose the extra year of sports eligibility because the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association had yet to change its ruling on that policy prior to Carson’s arrival.
Last season, Carson averaged 13 points, seven assists and four steals.
It wasn’t until he compared report cards, though, that he said knew he was in the right place.
“My grades came up a whole lot,” Carson said, “and I’ve got all the classes I need now.”
His basketball statistics continue to climb.
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound senior point guard leads the Lions (5-3) in four major categories entering tonight’s home game against Victory Christian, averaging 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots per game.
Amid his success, he’s also displayed a flair for late-game heroics.
Earlier this season, in the Lions’ 85-84 win over Trinity of Durham, Carson nailed the game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. Despite fouling out in the extra session, he poured in 39 points.
Carson buried another buzzer-beating shot from beyond the arc to force overtime Monday, but the Lions ended up losing 62-54 to Hickory Christian.
“I try to be as calm as I can and hope my teammates trust me to take the last shot,” Carson said.
Relishing the opportunity to make something happen when the game is on the line, he isn’t intimidated to pull the trigger.
He was a little more uncertain when deciding to attend SCS, but those reservations faded long ago.
Carson is having fun. He’s focused. He’s happy.
“I wasn’t sure about this move at first,” he said, “but I’m glad I came.”
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