Darius Carter is a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward who transferred to Wichita State this year. He is a First Team National Junior College All-American from Vincennes University, a two-year school in Indiana. In our interview, he talked about his sports background and his relationship with his famous basketball-playing cousin, LeBron James.

Tell me about your sports background.

I played football freshman year, but that didn’t work out too good. So I just stuck with basketball. I didn’t play any other sports.

Has basketball always been your favorite sport?

Yeah. Growing up, my dad played, and he always wanted me to play, so I always loved basketball. I was playing organized basketball since third grade. I’ve been playing awhile.

After high school, what made you decide to go to a two-year college like Vincennes, instead of a four-year school?

Well, I had to because of my grades out of high school, and it gave me a better opportunity to get looked at by more colleges. I got scouted more, and I got to develop my game more.

You were named a NJCAA (Nation Junior College Athletic Association) First Team All-American last year. How did that feel?

It felt really good to accomplish that. As a freshman, I always wanted that, but I didn’t get it my freshman year. So I worked harder my second year, and I feel like that helped me a lot with my recruitment, because I stepped it up big time in the post-season. There was a lot of people there watching.

You played in Hutchinson, correct? At the NJCAA tournament?

Yeah.

Was that the first time you made a connection with WSU? Or did they reach out to you before that?

Yeah, I was talking to them before that. And then that was the first time I had a chance to come here and see the facility. We had practice here, so that gave me a chance to see the facility a little bit.

What have you liked about Wichita? The city, and WSU?

I love the community — how much support we have from everyone. I’ve never been in a place like this before, where everybody is watching us, rooting us on and supporting us.

What are some of the things you are looking forward to this season?

I [am] ready to play in front of that big crowd out there in Koch Arena. I heard it was crazy, so I can’t wait to experience that.

What do you think will be some of your challenges transitioning to Division I basketball?

I definitely need to get stronger, faster. Because moving up to D-I, there are a lot bigger and faster people.

What are some things you have learned from Coach Marshall?

I’ve learned to think faster. With the plays we run, we [have] got to think on the go. Coach is going to call them out, and you don’t have much time to adjust.

This is a question I have to ask. What is your relationship with LeBron like? Did you grow up with him? Do you have much contact with him?

I mean really, I didn’t have much contact with him, because he is always traveling. He is a hardworking man, so whenever I do see him, I see him work out, and I get the chance to work out with him. I learn a lot from that.

Are there any perks to being LeBron James’ cousin?

I get a chance to see what a lot of people don’t see. I see the way he works and his focus and the way he thinks before games. When I was in Miami, I got to see how he focused and settled before playoff games. That’s definitely a perk.

What are some things you have learned from him?

I mean just the way he works. He has so much success already, and he still works like he has nothing. That’s something I see and learn from him.

Finally, what are some of your feelings about the season, and about the team?

I feel great about the team this year. I feel like we have great chemistry. I think it’s going to be a great year.