The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Ex-Husky Carlton happy in Houston
Transfer hoping to help Cougars to repeat of last season
Josh Carlton’s four-year career at UConn was truly a roller-coaster ride: occasional contributions as a freshman, league Most Improved Player under a new coach as a sophomore, diminishing results as a junior and senior.
There were highs (career-best 21 points vs. Temple as a sophomore) and lows (several DNP’s as a senior) and ultimately, too many losses (55), not enough wins (64).
There is also one clear highlight. It happened last March at a hotel in New York City, gathered ’round with the group of players who would ultimately be his teammates for just one more game.
“Probably the first Selection Sunday, when we made (the NCAA tournament) for the first time in so many years,” Carlton recalled. “Not having had enough success to get in the tournament, just having one time being able to see everybody excited. Just being in the tournament, that was my favorite memory.”
It’s a memory Carlton hopes to duplicate this season at Houston, where he’s finishing out his collegiate career as a grad transfer. In fact, he’d like to help the Cougars’ program at least repeat its success from last season, when it went all the way to the Final Four.
It won’t be easy. Sure, Houston is 12-2 and ranked 12th in the nation following Sunday’s win at Temple. But the Coogs have recently suffered a pair of devastating, season-ending injuries: Leading scorer Marcus Sasser (17.7 points per game) and sophomore guard Tramon Mark (10.1 ppg) are both now out for the season.
While Houston still may be the favorites in a subpar American Athletic Conference this season, a return to the Final Four would seem a very tough task.
“Anytime you lose a player like Marcus and Tramon, it’s gonna be a little bit down,” Carlton noted. “Those are two great players. But, we’re motivated, because a lot of people feel like we can’t win the league without them and we’re not gonna be the same team. But in terms of the team morale, I think we’re all fired-up and motivated to prove people wrong.”
And Carlton, the 6-foot-10 center, will play a key role in proving those doubters wrong. Even though Sasser and Mark are guards, Carlton’s minutes and production have already seen
significant upticks. Inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season four games ago, Carlton has averaged 12.5 points and 7.8 rebounds over the past four contests — including a season-high 20 points against Texas State on Dec. 22 — significantly raising his season averages.
“Just being out there to help the team, do whatever the coach asks me to do,” he said of his current approach. “No matter how many minutes I get to play, just to be out there and produce and help the team win.”
Playing for Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has been enjoyable for Carlton, who draws some comparisons between Sampson and Dan Hurley.
“They’re both fiery,” Carlton said. “It’s like playing for any demanding coach. He demands a lot from you, expects you to go out and do what he tells you to do.”
Carlton, a classic, backto-the-basket big, may not have seemed a prime candidate for Sampson’s guardoriented system. But Carlton, who is noticeably slimmed-down (“we do a lot of conditioning here, a lot of cardio”) and Sampson have made it work.
“I think he’s done a good
job emphasizing getting the ball inside to me and Fabian (White), the four-man, and the other bigs like Reggie (Chaney). Everybody goes out there and plays. There’s not really too many sets we run. Everybody on the team’s unselfish, so really if you just play within yourself, you’ll have success.”
And one more thing ... “Oh yeah, and rebound,” Carlton added, with an appreciative laugh. “Big emphasis on rebounds. Especially on the offensive end.”
Carlton, who’s working on a grad degree in political science, has no regrets about his decision to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility and transferring to Houston.
“Oh yeah, I’m very comfortable. I don’t look back and be regretful about anything, just take everything as it is. I’m happy with the situation I’m in now.”
And though he went from starting all 33 games and averaging nearly 10 points a game as a sophomore to just one start and 3.7 ppg as a senior, Carlton harbors no ill will towards UConn.
“I was there four years, had some of the best moments of my life there,” he said. “I got my degree from there, so I’m an alumni. No hard feelings.”
Carlton reconciles his decreased role over his last two seasons in Storrs.
“After my sophomore year, focusing on my frame and becoming more physical, maybe I put on a little too much weight,” he admitted. “And after that ... more players coming in, I guess. It’s hard to find minutes at UConn. That’s the level they want to be at.”
He is still in contact with his former Husky teammates, particularly Isaiah Whaley, with whom he calls or texts at least a few times a week, talking about how their respective seasons are going.
But Josh Carlton isn’t about looking back. He’s all about the present and the future, which means helping Houston continue its remarkable recent success.
“Shoot, hopefully we’re able to get back to the same level the team was last year,” Carlton said. “We want to get back to the tournament and to the Final Four, at minimum. That’s what everybody has their eyes on around here.”
FAMILIAR FACES, NEW PLACES
Carlton isn’t the only ex-Husky playing elsewhere. In fact, he’s not the only ex-Husky to return to the AAC.
Vance Jackson, part of the vaunted “Top Five” recruiting class of 2016, is at East Carolina — his fourth stop in six years. Jackson, a 6-foot-9 forward, is second on the Pirates in scoring at 10.8 ppg and is shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point land.
Brendan Adams is averaging 11.1 ppg as a grad guard at George Washington. He graduated early from UConn last spring. Javonte Brown, who left UConn last December after playing just two games as a freshman, has started nine of 12 games at Texas A&M. The 7-2 frosh is averaging 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, ex-Yale star Paul Atkinson is averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds as a grad transfer at Notre Dame, which recently upset Kentucky. Atkinson, a 6-9 forward, was the Ivy League’s Player of the Year in 2020.
Finally, a trio players who committed to UConn but never played for the Huskies after Kevin Ollie was fired: James Akinjo is the second-leading scorer (13.0) and starting point gaurd for top-ranked Baylor; Emmitt Matthews is the second-leading scorer (10.9) at Washington; and Lukas Kisunas is averaging 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds as a senior forward at Stanford, where he’s teammates with North Granby’s Jaiden Delaire.