Prospect Spotlight: Carter Plousha (2019)
On a team dominated by seniors last season, Carlsbad wing Carter Plousha thought about ways he could stay on the floor.
Plousha decided he would do it the old fashioned way: playing hard on defense.
He became the Lancers’ top on-ball defender as a sophomore, and he’s carried his intensity on the defensive end to the grassroots season, where the 6-5 wing has become one of the top on-ball defenders in Southern California.
“We had a lot of seniors, so if I wanted to play, I had to bring something different to the table,” Plousha said.
Plousha, who’s mother, Mary, was a starting point guard at the University of Arizona in the early ’90s, has a long wingspan, very quick feet and defensive anticipation. Away from the ball, he does a solid job jumping into passing lanes for steals that lead to easy scoring opportunities for teammates.
Coming off the bench for a deep Gamepoint 16u Pump-N-Run team, Plousha usually draws the assignment of guarding the other team’s top scorer. More often than not, Plousha’s defense is critical in winning efforts.
He contributes his improvement to simply playing harder and improving his motor.
2019 Carlsbad W Carter Plousha has become one of the top on-ball defenders in Southern California.“I’ve been getting a lot better, I’m starting to care a little more and consistently showing effort and playing harder than I have done in the past,” Plousha said. “That change in my mindset is helping me play a lot better.”
Who was the toughest defender Plousha has faced all summer? Drake London, he said without hesitation.
“He’s just really big and really quick, and he’s extremely athletic,” Plousha said. “He has the ability to change his shot in mid-air to avoid the block, and once he gets to his left side it’s hard to stop him.”
So, how does Plousha defend a guy like London?
“I try to force him to his weak side, to his right, and give him a little more space to absorb that first step,” Plousha said. “You really can’t stop a guy like that, but you just try to make it tough for him to score.”
Offensively, Plousha’s game is still raw, but shows flashes of an emerging perimeter game, knocking down open shots from the wing and slashing to the rim for layups through contact.
He fills lanes in transition and is a smooth finisher with the bounce to finish above the rim.
Plousha said he continues to work on his shooting, ball handling and quickness, and has spent a lot of time over the summer trying to put muscle on his 170-pound frame.
As his effort level has improved, Plousha says he’s hearing from more schools, including Point Loma Nazarene, which has been in contact with him since June.
Like many San Diego prospects, Plousha dreams of playing at San Diego State, but said he’s open to any school that will recruit him.
“If I could play at SDSU, it would be a dream come true,” Plousha said.