Basketball is in the midst of intense season and one particular player is a key reason for their recent success. Carter Uphus is a 6’7” 210 lb forward hailing from Bloomington, Minnesota. Uphus has been a centerpiece of the BSM basketball program for the past two years. After having success during the high school and AAU season, Uphus received a lot of interest from colleges around the Twin Cities.

Uphus had interest from St. John’s, Macalester College, Gustavus, and, most recently, St. Olaf. After talking with coaches over the summer leading up to his senior year, Uphus came to his decision: he has decided to take his talents to St. Olaf where he will continue his academic and athletic career. “I really liked the coach over there. He seems to really care about his players, and the program as a whole has a big focus on academics,” Uphus said.

After playing basketball for over 11 years, Uphus has a lot of knowledge and love for the game. “I tend to usually play basketball in my free time with my friends from my old team, such as Ryan Mazurek and Jack Anderson (Varsity players on Holy Angels). We really made a bond stronger than just a friendship through the game of basketball,” Uphus said.

Playing basketball in high school is a year round commitment if a player trying to get to the next level. Uphus has played in the AAU summer league since middle school. He’s played on teams such as MN Fury, 43 Hoops, and, most notably, Southside Wolverines.

Uphus scores the majority of his points around the basket, and on the defensive side of the ball, he’s been a helpful force in defending the basket. Uphus blocked a total of 69 shots last year, which was just shy of the record 75 blocks. Not only is Uphus a physical presence on the court, he’s also a mental anchor for the team. “He pushes us to be the best people on and off the court possible in order to reach our goals,” senior guard Liam Ford said.

Uphus is hopeful for BSM’s future. “The sky is really the limit, we’ve been able to hang with pretty good teams. Now we just need to put the pieces together in order to hopefully make a postseason run,” Uphus said.