“I really wanted to be out there with the guys,” he said. “Sitting on the sidelines, you want to be a good teammate and cheer them on, but I was like, ‘Man, I wish I was out there.’
“You visualize yourself playing against other guys and want to compete.”
For the former Westerville South star, the wait will soon be over. The Raiders open the season Nov. 10 at Colorado State, and Carter has locked down a spot in the rotation — maybe not as a starter, but as the top frontline sub.
He went to great lengths to play Division I basketball, and it’s the beginning of what looks like a promising career.
He just wishes the man who helped him most to reach his goal was still around to see it.
His father, Wayne Carter, passed away at age 56 on Nov. 23, 2021 — less than two weeks after Drey signed with the Raiders at the start of his senior year.
Wayne, a Central State grad, figured the best chance for his son to develop was having him face stiffer competition, so the two moved from Bellefontaine to the Columbus area and rented an apartment before Drey’s freshman year — while Wayne’s wife Teresa and their other three children stayed put.
Drey thrived. He started three years for Westerville South, hitting more than 40% of his 3′s each season, and was a D-I first-team all-state pick as a senior after averaging 17.8 points.
He also had a huge growth spurt in high school, making him a guard in a big man’s body. He wasn’t quite 6-foot as a freshman, but he sprouted up five inches between his sophomore and junior years and says he believes he’s still growing.
“That was definitely a sacrifice on his part,” Drey said of his dad’s willingness to move for him. “As a son, you don’t really understand how much a father goes through to do that for you. And now I can’t imagine it. I’m really thankful for all he did for me.”
Drey was coached at Westerville South by highly regarded Ed Calo, who is in his 37th year. But the elder Carter — who was a stocky 6-5 and played more football than basketball — was always in Drey’s ear.
“It’s definitely going to be tough this year not having him giving me knowledge and tips and all the things you need from a dad to push yourself,” Drey said.
“But I know he’s still there. He’s with me. I’m going to continue to do it for him and be the best I can be.”
Wright State was the first to offer a scholarship. It came on June 29, a day after Drey’s 17th birthday.
He eventually had 15 offers, including several from MAC schools, but he committed to the Raiders on Nov. 1 and signed on Nov. 10 with his mom and dad at his side.
He was just starting his senior season when his father passed away.
“He had other health issues, but then Covid appeared, and that obviously (sped up) the process of different things,” Drey said.
Westerville South had a game the day after Wayne died, and Drey decided to play anyway and led the team to a win by scoring 18 points.
“Me being the person I am, I don’t communicate the best with my emotions and feelings. It was me battling my own thoughts, knowing that’s what he would’ve wanted me to do,” Drey said.
Not that he’s done grieving.
“Some days are harder than others. Some days, you need to take that second just to breathe and understand what’s going on,” he said.
“Things happened so fast, and the season was going on. As time passes, it dwells with me, and I’m like, ‘Man, this is who I am as a person. Life has changed.’ But you’ve got to continue on and make the most of it.”
The Wright State staff tried to be extra attentive during that period — coach Scott Nagy had lost his father a month earlier — and Calo was supportive throughout the process.
“It was traumatic. It was devasting. He had a phenomenal relationship with his dad. They were very, very close. And all of a sudden, his dad was taken away from him,” Calo said.
“He went through some emotionally down periods, which is understandable. He had to really fight through it. He took it very hard.
“You can’t replace your dad. It doesn’t matter what age you are when you lose him. But when you’re 16 or 17, that’s brutal.”
The Carters have leaned on each other through it all, and their Christianity has provided perspective.
“I grew up in a faith household. And I’m working to continue to build my relationship with God. He’s got me on my path, and he’s in control of everything,” he said.
“There’s definitely hard times. But I have to remember he’s in control, and it’s his will.”
Carter also is finding solace in basketball, and he looks like another recruiting coup for the Raiders.
Calo isn’t surprised his protégé has already become a key player.
“I’m obviously biased — I’ve not seen his day-to-day development — but when he left here, his potential was limitless,” he said. “He has to get bigger and stronger. But he’s willing to put in the work. He’s a love-the-game type of kid. That’s critical.”
Carter was so passionate about the sport that he worked with a personal trainer on his own to develop strength and agility.
“His growth at our place was impressive,” Calo said. “I told him he had to improve his motor. He improved his motor. I told him he had to improve his shot selection and rebounding. He improved his shot selection and rebounding,” Calo said.
“He’s a willing defender and exceptional shooter. He’s a good one.”
Nagy sees plenty of upside in Carter, who arrived at 190 pounds and has bulked up a bit to nearly 200.
“Drey is doing a good job. He’s rebounding the ball. He’s shooting a very high percentage (in practice),” he said.
“He gives us a lot of options in terms of what we can do offensively and defensively. There’s a possibility we can play him at the 3 — having a big team and trying to pound people, which is what I’d like to do.”
Star forward Brandon Noel goes against Carter daily in practice, and it’s been ideal preparation.
“He’s a big, strong guy,” Noel said. “Me, him and A.J. (Braun) just do battle every day. It’s something that makes me better, him better and, I’m sure, A.J. too — even though we might not look forward to it, just because it’s tough.”
Carter may have grinded down some molars while redshirting last season, but it’s just what he needed.
“Taking that year to gather new knowledge and understand the game better was really good for me,” he said.
“This year, I just want to contribute and be a good teammate and try to be a leader any way possible. I want to bring guys together to win games.”
The wounds of losing his father are still fresh, and he’s also been dealing with some physical pain.
No one can grow nearly a foot in high school and not experience some discomfort. But it’s a tradeoff he’s happy to make.
“I’m trying to get to 6-10,” he said with a smile.
“There’s some knee pains that come with it and all the other pains. But I’m really thankful for it.”
No one in the family ever thought Drey would grow taller than his dad, though Wayne certainly didn’t mind seeing it.
After all, he may have had to look up at his son, but his son always looked up to him.
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