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Anywhere he's been, 2005 Watkins Mill alumnus Justin Carter is always good enough. That's why his seamless transition into Division I college basketball should not be surprising, even though it is a rarity.

Carter, a Junior College transfer at Creighton (Neb.) University, has started every game for the 13-4 Blue Jays in his first year at the school, averaging just over 7 points per game.

"There have definitely been a couple games where I'm like, ‘Man, I need to get stronger,' or, ‘Man, I need to pick my spots smarter,'" Carter said. "But I don't think I've played anyone where I'm like, ‘I need to get a lot better.' I guess that's kind of surprised me a little bit."

Starting for a "mid-major" college basketball program is something few Montgomery County products have been able to accomplish; much less, for a program that has earned NCAA Tournament berths in seven of the last 10 years. And to rise to starter status so quickly is even more rare.

"Not many transfer students start for us," said Creighton head coach Dana Altman. "We run a lot of set plays, and it usually takes awhile to get all the timing down. The transition to Division I takes awhile, and Justin's had to adjust, but I've seen rapid improvement over the last few weeks. We're happy to have him."

That Carter has fit in so quickly at Creighton belies the road he took to get there. He did not even plan on playing college basketball after graduating from Watkins Mill.

He certainly excelled on the hardwood and was an All-Gazette first-teamer during his senior season. But he was just as good at his fall sport; in his final year with the Wolverines' football team, he rushed for 1,488 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He earned a scholarship to play both football and basketball at Morgan State University, but instead sat out a semester and transferred to Compton College (Calif.) to play football. As he put it, "Football is my first love."

"What a tremendous athlete he was; you just couldn't give him the ball enough times," said current Poolesville head coach Steve Orsini, who helmed Watkins Mill from 2002-04. "I was watching the Penn State-USC Rose Bowl the other day, and you look at those athletes; that's the type of kid Justin was."

As it turned out, basketball was in the cards for Carter, if only by accident. During his freshman season on the Compton football team, the coaching staff threw together an impromptu basketball tournament. Some of the school's basketball coaches just happened to be watching, and liked what they saw from Carter.

"I always wanted to play both sports," said Carter. "I guess it was just a matter of time."

Only because he proved so good on the court, he has not touched a football field since. After his freshman year, Carter transferred to Fullerton (Calif.) Community College, following coach Allen Caveness from Compton.

With roundball his sole concentration, Carter showcased a more polished game; he averaged over 20 points per game and was named the Orange Empire Conference's Most Valuable Player as a sophomore.

Creighton assistant coach Brian Fish, a friend of Caveness, saw the 6-foot-4 guard in a preseason tournament, calling him "the best guard in JUCO," according to Carter.