Utah big man Branden Carlson was named a top-10 finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on February. 2. Carlson has cemented his legacy not only on the Hill, but also in the Conference of Champions. The 7-foot super senior is the only men's basketball player in conference history to eclipse 1,500 points (1,617), 700 rebounds (740), 200 blocks (218) and 100 assists (156) in a career.
Carlson's first opportunity to take over a career record will be in the blocked shots category. He currently sits at 218 and needs just two more to pass David Foster (2006-07, '09-11) and become the program's all-time leader.
Carlson joined Utah athletics director Mark Harlan on his Hear it from Harlan podcast in late January to talk about his decision to attend Utah, why he chose to stay with the program after a coaching change, what played into his decision to come back for one more season, and the fans' role in Utah's home court advantage.
Mark: Your career numbers are among the best in Utah and Pac-12 history. Did you envision all of this when you joined us a few years back, was it your dream to make this happen?
BC: I didn't know what I was really capable of doing when I first got here. I just wanted to play basketball here. I had my goals but I didn't think of stats. I was never a big stats guy when I came in. In high school, I never knew what I averaged for points and rebounds and stuff like that. I just liked to play and so when I came here I wasn't aware of all-time scoring, all-time blocks leaders and stuff like that. You get in and you start having success, that's when people start talking to you about it. Then it kind of clicked and it's like, oh wow, this is pretty cool and kind of an honor, honestly.
Mark: I think it was a couple of games ago at home--and I sit there in the corner there across from the benches--you guys always come by and shake hands. You had a remarkable stat day and I mentioned to you that you had something like 20 rebounds, and you said "really?" And I'm like, he didn't even know. You were so focused on getting the team accomplishment, which was the win.
Let's talk about your journey. You were heavily recruited by the previous staff to come here. You went on your mission to England and then came back. Just to watch your growth as a player has been remarkable. Tell us a little bit about your journey and why you chose Utah.
BC: There's a lot that played into Utah. My family lives 30 minutes from campus, so it's home. I knew that when I got back from my mission my brother would be playing in high school. I loved going to his games when he was younger and I wanted to be able to continue doing that. That was a huge part of the decision. At the time it was Coach K (Larry Krystkowiak) and that staff. They really believed in me and I really believed in them. I thought they had a good vision for me. A lot of people know that I grew up as a BYU fan; that was my dream school. Then you get offered there and you go through the recruiting process, and things just felt different. You see a different side of things and you just get a different feeling for it. Utah just felt like the right fit for me through it all. The coaching, the history of the program, the success they've had. That played a huge part in it but the biggest part was the idea of being a hometown kid.
Mark: I think it's great to always have open minds in recruiting. You put yourself in a great position to have choices, and of course we're glad that you came. I love talking to our student-athletes who come back from missions. Britain Covey and I had a lot of conversations about that. So, you go to England. When you come back, how long did it take you to just get back to being what you wanted to be as a basketball player.
BC: Still working on it, honestly. Every day! No, seriously, when I came back it took like all of the summer and half of the season of playing to finally feel a little bit more comfortable doing things. Getting back into shape, it was months of a grind until your legs weren't just dead after every practice and you feel like you have to sit down for hours to feel like your lungs weren't on fire anymore. But for the comfort level and the confidence of being out on the court again, that's something that you just develop still. Like I said, even now you just have to work on being confident in certain situations and everything. Coming back, just building the confidence that I do belong out there, it was halfway through the season of my freshman year [before that happened].
Mark: You had an opportunity last year after an unbelievable season. You went through what sounds like a really intellectual process of decision making, trying to determine if you were ready to make the ultimate dream come true and get into the NBA. Give us a little background about that whole process.
BC: I decided after last season that I was going to enter the draft, but with the intention that I was going to stay [at Utah]. My thinking was, there had to be certain things with my situation that would only make it better if I go into that draft. I have a great situation here at Utah with my wife going to law school for one more year here. I love the coaching staff and they believe in me, and I think we have a good shot at making the NCAA Tournament. There's a lot that played into it. So, going into the draft, it was just a deal where I have to have the right fit of a team that wants me and I feel like they would actually appreciate having me on their team, the right kind of contract and stuff. You only have one [NBA] team here in Utah. So other than that, we were going to be doing long distances because my wife was going to be staying here. So there was a lot that came into it.
When I went down to workout with all of these teams, I got a lot of feedback. A lot of it was great feedback. Some them said, "No, you've still got more things to work on. We love you but you can even have a bigger step for next year." Other teams were like, "We really like what we see and think you could have great success here this year." So it was a hard decision. But talking about it with my family, with my wife, and with my agent, we felt that it was best just to come back for one more year and really have the chance to work on my game and improve on the things that teams wanted to see. And, I get to be a part of a great program, still get to be with my wife. It was a win-win coming back.
Mark: Sounds like it was a lot of learning with good, honest feedback. The NBA always stresses with the NCAA that we're going to be brutally honest, good and bad, and I think that has to be really helpful for you. Was part of the thinking that you would be sliding over to play the 4 position more with Lawson Lovering transferring here, and that was something you were intrigued about?
BC: That was one of the things I talked to Coach Smith about. I wanted to play more 4. And it wasn't necessarily offensively because a lot of teams were already saying, "Oh, he's a 4 man in the NBA. He plays 4 and some 5 on the offensive side in the NBA. But it's the defensive end that we need to see more of." So, I talked to Coach Smith about playing more 4. And we knew with Lawson coming here I would have more of that chance.
Mark: We're undefeated at home this year. I remember talking to you the day before the BYU game and you were dealing with a little bit of an injury. You were just getting off the bike when I saw you and I said, "Are you in?" and you said, "I'm not missing this" because you knew what the environment would be like. You played remarkable that day. Just talk a little bit about what the crowd does for you guys.
BC: The crowd is huge. I think we have great success at home because of our fans and the energy that they bring. It just gives us a whole other sense of confidence out there. You've got a sixth man right there cheering you on. You've got your bench and those fans cheering right behind you. It just gives you that energy to keep on going and fighting, and it just really changes the momentum of the game. Like you said, that BYU game; I was just hopping off the bike and getting a little conditioning in, and it was just announced that day that the game was already sold out. So the idea of a sold out arena in the Huntsman Center, you can't miss that!
There's no doubt. The energy they bring, the confidence that they give us when you have that environment, that really helps to get you going.
Mark: Let's step away from the court. You've graduated with a communication degree and you're pursuing a graduate certificate. You just have to be excited. Here we are, heading into February, and everything is in front of us. You have a big journey coming up. Your wife will be finishing law school. She works way harder than you if I'm hearing it right. You're subject to the 20-hour rule and she's not! You're just really in a great spot. What an exciting time for both of you.
BC: It's awesome! We talk about it almost weekly, just about what our future could possibly hold and all the opportunities that we have. My dad always tells me, "You're picking between good and great." We're lucky. So many people get stressed because [they] don't know what's going to happen in a couple of months, but we're picking between good or great. It's never going to be a bad situation.
Mark: That's great perspective. We appreciate you for everything you've done not just the basketball program but this athletics department as well. You've stuck through a lot of things, like a coaching change, which is never easy. That way you've managed that, you were just a superstar. It's such a validating thing that you believed in the change. Guys stayed, I think, because of you. And now here we are with everything in front of us. We've got a shot to get into this tournament, which is the ultimate dream. Thank you, BC, for everything you've done for the University of Utah.
