Jahvin Carter is Right at Home at Penn State in More Ways Than One | Meet the Pride

One of five true freshmen on the 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball team, guard Jahvin Carter could make an immediate impact with his 3-point shooting abilities.

Carter is a three-star recruit out of Alcoa, Tennessee, and was the fourth-ranked player in the state. During his high school career at Alcoa High School, Carter tallied 3,116 points (school record), 602 rebounds and 551 assists. His on-court productivity helped guide Alcoa to consecutive state championships in his final two seasons and earned him tournament MVP honors both years.

Jahvin Cater, Penn State

NAME: Jahvin Carter
HOMETOWN: Alcoa, Tenn.
POSITION: Guard
YEAR: Freshman
HEIGHT: 6-foot-3
WEIGHT: 185 pounds

During Carter’s recruitment, Penn State was one of three schools to offer him. Two weeks after receiving an offer from State College, Carter was committed to the Nittany Lions. Head coach Mike Rhoades’ commitment to getting to know Carter, his game and Carter’s family is what ultimately drove the Tennessee native’s decision.

“It felt like I fit,” said Carter. “[Rhoades] called me every day… He watched my film. He called my coaches, my brother, my mom… It [doesn’t] get better than that.”

RELATED: ‘It Felt Like Home’: Relationships With Mike Rhoades, Staff Led to Jahvin Carter’s Commitment to Penn State

‘It Felt Like Home’: Relationships With Mike Rhoades, Staff Led to Jahvin Carter’s Commitment to Penn State

Additionally, both Carter and Rhoades believe the combo guard’s style of play fits well with the Nittany Lions’ offense.

“He told me the way he runs his offense [and] I fit [perfectly] the way I can shoot it,” said Carter. “He likes the way I come off screens and he likes how I create for others.”

That shooting ability is what gives Rhoades confidence in the freshman’s portability in different lineups.

“He’s such a good shooter with range, if he’s playing out there with Ace (Baldwin Jr.), Freddie (Dilione V) or D’Marco (Dunn) he can make threes, so we don’t want to take that away from him as a freshman,” Rhoades told media members in May. “I don’t want to just put him in a box because I think he’s a very versatile and talented lead guard… but [we want to] teach him how to become a point guard… [and] he’s so open to wanting to know how to get better.”

Penn State was one of the conference leaders in three-point attempts last season (11th in efficiency). With the departures of some of the school’s high-volume shooters, Carter and Penn State benefit each other mutually; Rhoades gets Carter’s shooting prowess, and Carter has his home away from home.