West Coast cousins enjoy time at Three Rivers

Three Rivers guard Marquise Carter and forward Richard Walker are cousins and enjoying their time at Three Rivers playin on the same team. (Corey Matthews/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

For Three Rivers players Marquise Carter and Richard Walker, saying family is only a phone call away is a bit of a stretch.

A walk down the hall might be more accurate.

The two players, who both grew up in San Diego, are cousins and room together at Three Rivers. Both graduated from Horizon High School, Walker in 2008 and Carter in 2007 after playing on the same team for Carter's senior year and Walker's junior season.

The duo grew up five miles away from each other and after not playing together all that much growing up, they really started to get to know each other when Walker transferred to Horizon for his junior season to play with Carter.

Carter, who redshirted last season, is averaging 14.5 points per game this year for the Raiders (18-4, 4-0 XVI) while Walker is averaging 4.6 points per contest. Despite Carter being point guard and Walker being more of a swingman, their games do share some of the same aspects.

"I think our games are kind of similar," Carter said. "We kind of get to the bucket, slash to the bucket really good."

Carter has run the Raiders offense most of the season and Three Rivers coach Gene Bess has been pleased with his play.

"He guards well," Bess said. "He is doing an all-around good game. He just needs to hit a higher percentage and get a little more involved from his teammates."

Walker brings a spark off the bench for the Raiders. He is one of just four players to have seen action in every game this year.

"He is 6-7 and long," Bess said. "He has a lot of upside to him and to his game. There has been times where he has been our best rebounder. He has a pretty good feel for the game and a good basketball IQ, we are pleased to have him."

The tandem's one year of playing together at Horizon really helped them as they are together this season.

"Him coming over and playing with me in high school, I really didn't know him that well, his game," Carter said. "Him coming here and me having the ball a lot of the time, I kind of know where to give him the ball."

Walker welcomed the idea of playing with his cousin at Horizon but didn't really know what to expect his junior season.

"It was kind of weird at first, I never really played with him," Walker said. "It was a good experience, it kind of taught me a lot, taught me how to play in a system. I kind of watched what he did and how he satisfied the coach and my next year that I played, I kind of did the same thing he did."

Much of the players' differences on the court simply stems from the fact that Walker is found in the post more while Carter is often up top.

"The only thing I think he has over me is shooting and he makes better decisions," Walker said. "He can handle traps better, he can handle the press, he is more of a guard."

Carter spent last season practicing with a team that went to the national tournament for the second consecutive year. His experiences last year are things he can pass on to his cousin who was new to the campus this season.

"I think it is kind of cool because we are family," Carter said. "I think that was kind of comfortable for him when he first got here because he didn't really know anybody. It was good for him just to have me introduce him to everybody and get him comfortable with everybody."

The pair stays together in campus housing along with fellow teammate Aloysius Henry. Being around each other often only increases the bond between the cousins.

"It has brought us real close," Carter said. "When we are in the room and we need help with something, like if I need help as far as money situation, he will help me out. If he needs help with money situations, I will help him out. We are just looking out for each other. At home, we didn't really connect as much but being here kind of made us (connect)."

After games, the team watches the film and each player said they don't hold much back on each others' performance. Both like it that way.

"Our family taught us to let somebody know when they are doing bad," Carter said. "If he is doing something bad, I am going to get on him, and if I am doing something bad, he is going to get on me. I am not going to get mad at him because he wants the best for me and I want the best for him."