Scouting and Highlights: Carter Pline (2020)
Carter Pline is 6’4″ freshman guard for Fowler. He is the younger brother of the 6’7″ Mason Pline, so he has potential to grow. Carter has been starting for his varsity squad and has been a very solid role player. He is a player that can be effective and have an impact on the game without having to dominate the ball or take a lot of shots, so he could fit into many different systems.
Here’s my take on Pline’s game:
Strenghts:
Shooting – He is a knockdown catch and shoot player. He’s also capable of putting the ball on the floor and hitting a pull-up if the defense closes too hard. He shoots it consistently at a high rate. He takes good, high percentage shots. He’s capable of hitting shots with defense tight on him.
Basketball IQ – He makes smart plays and limits the amount of mistakes he makes. He does a good job uses pivots or head-fakes to free himself up on offense. He does a good job of getting himself open without the ball. He makes smart passes and doesn’t force shots. Most importantly, he knows how to play within a system.
Motor – He does a good job bringing energy and effort to the court. This helps him get rebounds and get himself open for open shots. Many high school players struggle to be a high-motor player throughout the course of an entire game, so for Pline to possess this skill as a freshmen is valuable. He just needs to make sure he doesn’t forget this as he grows older and becomes the number one option on his team.
Work Ethic – Starting as a freshmen throughout this season, Pline has made consistent improvements as the season has progressed. While it certainly takes most new players time to simply adjust to the level, consistent improvement is also a result of a strong work ethic. The fact that Pline possesses such a valuable skill at such a young age will only bring good things for him in the future.
Areas For Development:
Playmaking – While he is young and just a role player on his current team, Pline will need to develop his playmaking ability if he’s serious about playing at the next level. Whether that be the ability to create plays for his teammates or simply the ability to create offense for himself, or both, he needs to develop the ability to break a defender down one-on-one and make a play with the ball.
Muscle – Most likely, this will come with age. If he could add muscle over the course of the next couple years, he will be legit physically, as he already has the height.