Two-Year Career Overview: Cartwright played in 45 games over two seasons at State with 20 games started. Brandon scored 158 career points with 126 career rebounds, while also earning a reputation for his good defensive efforts.
2006-07 Season:
His senior season saw him play 23 games and start 16, despite missing time, 34 days at one point, with a sprained ankle and then a broken hand. Cartwright scored 130 points (5.7) and grabbed 89 rebounds (3.9). He also posted the team's best grade point average with a 3.08 fall semester.
Cartwright scored in double figures in four games, topped by 13 points each against George Mason and Alabama State. He added 12 points in the games at ODU and against UNC Wilmington. Brandon had three games with 8 rebounds and two games with 7 rebounds.
2005-06 Season:
The junior played in 21 games with four starts in his first campaign at Georgia State. His season totals included 28 points scored (1.3 per game), 37 rebounds (1.8 per game), 10 assists, five blocked shots and a steal.
Cartwright helped with the defense and had a season-best six rebound game vs. VCU in 13 minutes, while also pulling down five rebounds vs. Northeastern and four at James Madison. On offense, his best was five points at Northeastern and five points vs. Old Dominion.
His most minutes played was 20 in the William & Mary win and 20 vs. Northeastern. He logged 16 minutes at Drexel. The junior forward blocked two shots in the win over William & Mary.
He played in both games in the CAA tournament and almost made the play that could have helped win the George Mason game. Late in the OT, he got an offensive rebound, put a shot up that replays showed hit the rim, got his own miss and scored. The referee, however, overruled the basket saying the ball had not hit the rim and the shot clock expired.
Junior College:
For the Jets of Northern Oklahoma community College in Enid, Okla., 80 miles north of Oklahoma City, Cartwright averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game in 2004-05.
Brandon was also quite active on the 14-14 team of Coach Greg Shamburg by leading the Mavericks in both assists and blocked shots.
Cartwright’s top scoring game was a 28-point outing as a sophomore.
A wing player from junior college with versatile skills, Cartwright showed he could share the ball (led his team in assists his last year in JUCO) or could play defense (led the team in blocked shots). Cartwright also showed he could score (had a 28-point best game and a 16-point per game average) and either could shoot the outside shot or take it to the rim for a dunk.
Cartwright could probably be labeled as coming “from under the radar screen,” as he will be the first-ever home-schooled high school player to attend Georgia State. But, he certainly did get himself noticed by scouts during his two seasons of JUCO play at Northern Oklahoma Community College.
“Brandon is a slasher and a penetrator that we haven’t had in a while at Georgia State,” Coach Perry explained during his recruiting period. “We’ll look to see his defensive skills as well as his offensive skills.”
Prep Career:
Brandon did not attend a public high school as he was home-schooled by his mother. But, he did get plenty of athletic competition in his hometown of Oklahoma City.
His high-school age basketball team, the Oklahoma City Knights, played games in an Independent League against teams from all over the state. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds for Coach Mike Bergman and Coach Greg Durbin, who sent out tapes and films to help Brandon’s college career get started.
In AAU competition, Cartwright played for the Oklahoma Servants for two years under Coach Major Wilson. That team played in regional events in Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
Personal:
Brandon was born on Sept. 4, 1983 in Oklahoma City where his family has lived his entire life. He is
one of four children of Jerry and Laneita Cartwright. The “baby” of the family has two older brothers, Jerry, Jr. and Jeremy, and a sister, Mia.
Cartwright is working towards a degree in exercise science at Georgia State.
