Riverside’s Curtis commits to East Tennessee State
Bigger-name programs expressed interest late, but Carlos Curtis wasn’t interested in them.
The Milwaukee Riverside senior didn’t want to be a college’s second or third option. He also didn’t want to commit to a program because of its supposed status.
“It’s not all about the name,” he said. “It’s about the place that best fits you.”
For Curtis, that place is East Tennessee State. The 6-foot-3 guard announced his decision during a gathering Friday evening at Riverside but said he signed his national letter of intent during the early signing period, which concluded Wednesday.
With Thanksgiving next week, Curtis held off on making his plans public so family from out of town could attend the event.
“I just wanted the family to be part of this special moment in my life,” he said. “It’s a blessing. You’ll never get this chance again.”
Curtis chose East Tennessee State over UW-Green Bay and Wright State. In the last couple of weeks in the recruiting period, he said, he also received interest from Northern Iowa, De Paul, Bradley and Murray State, although by that point he had pretty much made up his mind.
“I felt like I was already part of the team,” he said. “I love the dynamic and the heart. I love how the coach runs his team and I actually grew a great bond with a couple of the players and I’m also kind of close with the coaches.”
The team won 24 games in coach Steve Forbes’ first season and reached the NCAA Tournament last year. East Tennessee State is picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference this year.
Strong at attacking the basket and defending, Curtis averaged 19 points per game last season for Riverside. He’ll play point guard for the Buccaneers.