In only his freshman year, Franklin grad Carter Capstran is fitting right in for the UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team. The former Saber currently is fourth on the team in points and rebounds and has been garnering minutes in the post this season.
“There have been a couple of ups and downs all over the place,” Capstran said of his freshman year so far. “I have been fortunate to get more and more minutes throughout the year, which is really exciting. I think we have a great team and a lot of great pieces, and once we really put those pieces together. I think we can make a run this year.”
Capstran has 69 rebounds this season and is second on the team in offensive rebounds with 30. He has posted seven double-digit performances this season including his career-high 22-point effort against UW-Eau Claire in a home loss on Jan. 22nd.
“He has been good and getting more consistent as he learns role and gets acclimated to college basketball,” UW-Whitewater head coach Pat Miller said. “He is physical and has good strength, which we knew coming in that he would be ready to go.”
Miller adds that Capstran has filled a big void down low for the Warhawks. He says that he expected him to be able to play and that he would be the guy the team would need.
“He has had some really solid games as he can step out and shoot threes, has scored well down low and played really well defensively,” Miller said. “For a freshman to come in in our conference, and put up the numbers he has is impressive.”
Capstran’s head coach at the high school level, Tyler Podoll has seen Capstran play a bit at UW-Whitewater and is excited for his former player. Capstran scored 1,342 points and 631 rebounds at Franklin as he helped lead the Sabers to a sectional final last season.
“He has had great IQ, had played at a high level, and won an AU championship in eighth grade,” Podoll said of Capstran’s initial college success. “I look forward to his success and it looks like he is meshing and bonding with that group of kids.”
Capstran thinks his early success at UW-Whitewater can serve as an example for others at Franklin. He credits motivation from former Franklin players such as Riley Clark as inspiration to him, and he hopes he can be that for others.
“If you are a young player, just look at the guys ahead of you and trust the process and work hard.”
Carter Capstran
The Warhawks currently sit at 12-7 overall and are fourth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 5-3 conference record. UW-Whitewater has five games left in the regular season with three of them on the road before the conference tournament starts on Feb. 22nd.
“Compared to last year, we have made a huge jump at Whitewater,” Capstran said. “Moving forward we have a lot of potential and a lot of success.”
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