'Phoenix': Inside Noah Carter's Transfer, Journey and Last Dance With Mizzou Basketball

Missouri Tigers senior forward Noah Carter made his way to Columbia from Northern Iowa last season, and now that he's set to play his last year of eligibility, expectations are high and motivations higher.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Noah Carter stands with his shoulders square and feet set.

The rising senior guard is putting up shots at Mizzou Arena with the rest of his teammates during a summer practice session, and given how he'd been preparing, he's likely sweating — a lot. It's just another day. Another practice. Another shot. 

The amount of practice doesn't matter to him, however. The quality of it does.

So, Carter catches the ball from a rebounding teammate and puts it through the net, but before the ball even reaches the ground, he's set again. It's rep one of many more to come.

"I'm really confident in my jumpshot," Carter said. "But I'm just trying to make strides in every aspect of my game. ... I want to be the best player I can be." 

Mar 15, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Noah Carter (35) dribbles during practice.  / © Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Being the best is difficult, and Carter knows it. So he keeps shooting. He keeps standing in the same spot — shoulders square and feet set — inside the same arena that will be filled with over 15,000 Missouri Tigers fans in just a few weeks. 

He keeps shooting, and when he's done, he still isn't satisfied. He remembers the way it felt to lose to Princeton in the second round of the tournament. How he wasn't able to get his Tigers over the hump in his 27 minutes. His team had fallen short. 

But regardless of what he remembers — or perhaps, chooses to forget — Carter retires for the day. It's just another practice for the him and his teammates. 

With practice over, the senior glances around at the rest of his team and at the empty stands that surround them. The emptiness only exists in the atmosphere, though. 

Carter, together with his teammates, prove that. And as they finish practice, they huddle up, look at one another and prepare to move forward with one simple word:

"Phoenix."

A Transfer, A Journey and Now, A Last Dance

With his left arm around Missouri coach Dennis Gates and his right arm pointing to the sky, Carter posed for a photo that would eventually go viral on social media. 

The 6-foot-6 guard had recently decided to transfer away from Northern Iowa for the second time of his career — though the first only resulted in him pulling his name a few days later. This time, that would not be the case. Carter had his mind set, and officially took to social media to announce his decision.

"I will be entering my name into the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining," the forward wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "[I have a] hunger to grow as a player and as a person. Thank you for UNI for this amazing chapter in my life."

The next decision for the wandering forward came just 20 days later. 

I’m apart of a bigger plan… God’s plan🙏🏼 I’m happy to announce my commitment to play at the University of Missouri!!!🐯Go Tigers #MIZZOU #LetsGo #BeGreat pic.twitter.com/iXd5IPAXvv

— Noah Carter (@noah3carter) April 12, 2022

Carter's photo with Dennis Gates — taken during a weekend visit — was posted to the same platform, and suddenly, Gates' now notorious "Bat Signal" from earlier that day made sense. The Tigers had landed another transfer piece, and he had all eyes on making noise in the SEC.

"I really believe in coach Gates and everybody in Missouri," Carter told PowerMizzou almost immediately after announcing his commitment. "I believe that this is the place I am going to succeed, so I thought it was time to let everybody know."

"Success" was certainly what Carter found during his lone season with the Tigers.

As a fourth-year vet, the forward averaged his best shooting splits from the field overall and from deep — the latter of which proved to be a big strength of his. He didn't average the most points he had throughout his career, but he also didn't have to. He saw a noticeable decrease in shots per game, as he was surrounded by other top scorers on a stacked Missouri offense. 

But while less points can sometimes mean less production, Carter's case was one that actually proved the opposite. And Gates made that abundantly clear. 

"He’s improved so much," the coach said of Carter during the 2023 SEC Tournament. "He’s gotten better at his perimeter game through his last five years of playing basketball ... He works on every part of his game." 

Missouri Tigers forward Noah Carter reacts during a game at Mizzou Arena / © William Purnell, USA TODAY

That work ethic helped Carter to the forefront of the Tigers' offense last season, but now that he's set to take the reins as one of the oldest remaining players, he'll be at the forefront of the locker room, too. 

"It's definitely a lot different team than last year," Carter said during Missouri's media day. "But it's been really cool bonding with the guys and getting close with everybody. ... Personally, I've been working on be[ing] the biggest voice out in the court and in the locker room. 

"I just want to be a person that people can rely on. Like a big brother."

Safe to say, that's exactly the way he comes across for the Tigers. 

“Noah Carter’s been excellent,” Tigers point guard Sean East II said. “He’s becoming more of a leader and more of a vocal leader, on and off the court, showing the guys what to do and driving the culture.”

Carter is set to be an undisputed leader for Missouri this season, but through his four seasons of college basketball, he wasn't always in that role. 

During his first three years with Northern Iowa, the forward was simply a scorer. He was a pivotal piece for the Panthers, but them losing him was a step in the right direction for Carter, as he now gets the challenge of burdening the pressure that comes with the Tigers' second season under Dennis Gates. 

He isn't worried about that. Especially since he's seen it been done before, namely by Kobe Brown and D'moi Hodge — two former Tigers who left a lasting impression on Carter.

"Being able to see them and be able to play with them and see what they did motivates me," Carter said. "I saw what their habits are. ... They worked their tails off, [and] see being able to see them making, you know, just motivates me." 

So, Carter has made his rounds. He's seen numerous teammates from different walks of basketball in front of him, and now, below him. 

"I'm really confident in my jumpshot," Carter said. "But I'm just trying to make strides in every aspect of my game. ... I want to be the best player I can be." 

Is he an NBA prospect? Simply put, it's far from out of the question. Both Brown and Hodge did it, after all, but right now, Carter isn't focused on that — though Gates has seen some early flashes of his NBA-bound teammates in him.

“He has the potential to put the ball in the basket [and] rebound, but also give us what we need from a leadership standpoint,” Gates said of Carter. “There’s many games [where] he could have had ... over 30 points. I truly believe his unselfishness and the presence of Kobe Brown made him take the back seat. But I saw an unselfish spirit.”

This season will be a chance for Carter to prove himself. To get those 30-point games. But it will also be a chance for him to step up as a leader in a monumental way.

Carter is set to be a true example in his final season, preparing for what is going to be his last dance with the Tigers and collegiate basketball. And for that, he's ready. 

"Opening night can't come soon enough," Carter said. 

'Phoenix'

When Carter and his teammates broke down their summer practice together, they had just one word in mind. Phoenix. 

From an outsider's perspective, "Phoenix" might not mean much, but for the Tigers, it's everything. It's where four teams will come together to compete for a national title in March. It's where the Tigers dream of being.

"We want to end our season in Phoenix," Carter said. "We we end every huddle, every meeting ... everything [by] coming together and saying 'Phoenix.' 

"We've got our eyes on Phoenix. That's our goal."

So, with that goal in mind, Carter and Tigers embark on another season, but with noticeably different expectations than a year ago — and certainly than the years before that. 

With Gates at the helm, Missouri is a contender. It proved that last season, yet still wasn't satisfied, and the players will tell you that all day long. 

"Last year, we felt like we fell short," Missouri senior guard Nick Honor said. "We really felt like we could have won it all last year. So, this being our (the seniors') last year, we're just all in. Phoenix or nothing. ... It's a daily reminder. We're just going to keep saying it until we get there." 

Honor phrased it well. He, too, is set to take on a large leadership role for Missouri this season. But as bought into the system as Honor is, Carter is equally as bought into his relationship with the point guard.

Oct. 16, 2023: Missouri forward Noah Carter answers questions from reporters at Missouri men’s basketball Media Day at Mizzou Arena / © Amber Winkler-MizzouCentral.com

"Nick is my brother," Carter said. "Love Nick. I'm very happy to still be on this grind with him. We bond a lot off-court."

"We might butt heads sometimes, but that's just because we're old," the forward added with a smile. "I'm very happy to have him as my point guard."

Together, Honor and Carter make up two of the Tigers' veterans, but more than that, they represent one of the things Gates loves most about his team. 

“These guys are definitely a connected group of guys," Gates said of his Tigers. "Communication is important, but also how you respond to adversity. I want these guys to be able to talk through certain points in the game, certain issues, and execute what we need to execute.” 

Working through adversity will be a large part of Missouri's campaign this season. Last year, it came in as No. 11 in the preseason media poll, which made sense given the struggles it had endured for years prior. 

But after a largely successful season — the Tigers finished further than eight other SEC schools — Missouri still didn't receive its flowers. It was ranked No. 9.

"We definitely use it as a motivator," Carter said. "We have a little bit of a target on our back. I feel like we're still getting a lot of disrespect, [but] we're just going to let that fuel us. They've got to pay us respect ... hopefully we'll be getting paid soon." 

Making the Final Four is a lofty goal. Phoenix is a lofty goal, but the Tigers don't see any issue with setting their sights high and goals even higher — which was evident from the very first time Gates spoke to the media this season.

“We've never been to a Final Four," the coach said during SEC media day. "Is this year's team a Final Four team? I don't know, but I guarantee you [that] we're going to act as if that's our destination. We're going to try to make sure everything that we do is for that reason,” Gates added. “It's not for the stats. Not for anything else, but [our] legacy. A legacy that our fans believe in, a legacy that I truly believe can happen. ... The sky's the limit." 

If the sky is the limit for Missouri this season, then Noah Carter had his eyes on it from the very second he decided to become a Missouri Tiger. It was there in the photo. He and Dennis Gates knew that they'd make that their goal, but now, the entire college basketball world does, too. So, the pressure is on. 

But as Carter enters Mizzou Arena for the first game of the season, he isn't going to think about that. 

"Our big focus has really been focusing on ourselves," Carter said. "This team has no weaknesses. Everybody holds their own. ... We're just going to go day-by-day, step-by-step and really [try to] become the best team we can possibly be."

So, with that in mind, he'll just hit the floor, find his spot and get into shooting position. Then, shoulders squared and feet set, he'll catch the ball and put it through the basket. Then, he'll do it again. And again. 

And once he's confident that he's prepared, he'll find his teammates, they'll huddle together, and break it down the exact same way they've done all offseason — only this time, it'll signal the true beginning of their season ... and Carter's last dance. 

"Phoenix," they'll say. "1,2,3 ... Phoenix." 

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