CHARLOTTE — After suffering a torn ACL in the ACC Tournament last season Carter Welling is still fighting his way back to the court at Clemson.
During his first year with the Tigers, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward appeared in 32 games, including 24 starts. Welling averaged 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals per contest while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from three and 70.1 percent from the foul line.
With the start of the season less than a month away, Welling is still not fully back, but he says he’s getting closer.
“It is feeling good,” the big man said at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte. “It is feeling good. We are making progress. I got my strength and everything, so it has been good.”
Since suffering the injury in March, the road back hasn’t been easy for Welling. In fact, it’s been one of the toughest things he’s dealt with during his basketball career.
“I think it is something that is really brutal. It is hard,” Welling said. “Just trying to do my best day in and day out. Honestly, that is all it is. There is a lot of pain through the process, and just kind of accepting that fact and taking it a day at a time.”
With Brad Brownell adding transfers David Fuchs and Liutauras Lelevicius to the frontcourt via the transfer portal, Welling knows he doesn’t have to rush back. Until he is, he is serving as one of those veteran leaders.
“I think something that I’ve started to do over these last couple of months is learn how to be a vocal leader,” Welling said. “It’s really easy to show the guys on the court, but now that I’m not on the court for a little bit, I’ve had to learn and to watch and learn the game even better and help the guys come along.”
As for an official timeline on his return, Welling says there is nothing is imminent. He just has to remain patient. However, when the time does come, he insists he will be ready.
“Right now we are taking it day by day. Just progressing day by day,” Welling said.
“Rehab has been going really good so far. But I will be ready when the time comes.”
– Photo courtesy of Nell Redmond/ACC