The University of Mississippi Athletics
Carter Wins Three-Point Shootout at Nike Desert Classic
6/21/1999 | Men's Basketball
April 19, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss senior Keith Carter won the three-point shootout and was second in the slam dunk contest at the Nike Desert Classic, which was held in Tempe, Ariz., last weekend. The classic, an all-star basketball tournament for 40 of the nation's top seniors, was held April 13-17 at the Wells Fargo Arena on the Arizona State University campus.
Carter, who holds the Ole Miss career three-pointers made record with 249, won the classic's three-point contest. The 6-foot-4 guard also placed second in the slam dunk competition. Cincinnati's Melvin Levett won the slam dunk contest. Carter was a member of the Midwest squad in the tournament and helped lead his team to a third-place finish.
"I was very pleased with Keith's performance last week at the Nike Desert Classic" said Ole Miss head coach Rod Barnes. "I thought Keith defended extremely well, and he showed that he can play at the next level. Keith shot well in the three-point contest, and that really helped him. The scouts were really impressed with Keith's intensity and work ethic. There were a lot of positives for Keith last week."
A 1999 All-Southeastern Conference first team pick by the coaches and Associated Press, Carter had a stellar senior campaign. He led the Rebels in scoring (16.4 ppg), three-pointers made (77) and three-point field goal percentage (35.0). He averaged 4.6 rebounds, and also had 49 steals and 66 assists. Carter was also named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District VI first team and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District IV squad.
Carter, who was a preseason candidate for the 1999 Naismith Player of the Year award, finished his career in the No. 5 spot on the Ole Miss career scoring chart with 1,682 points. He is ranked 12th on the Rebel career rebounding chart with 596.
Carter is only the fourth player in Rebel basketball history to record at least 1,000 points, 550 rebounds and 200 assists in a career. Elston Turner, Ansu Sesay and Jason Smith were the other three Rebels to do so.
The Rebels completed their 1998-99 campaign with a 20-13 overall record and an 8-8 SEC mark. Ole Miss earned its third straight NCAA Tournament bid in 1999, advancing to the second round.
