Hard Work Wins: Making History with Continuity
BY ZACH WADLEY ’14
4 MIN. READ
It’s August 2022, and Carter Collins is standing before a shell-shocked Anderson University men’s basketball team at the annual preseason meeting the night before a new academic year begins at AU.
Hours before, Collins was the surprised one as former head coach Owen Handy told him he was departing the program and that Collins would be named the interim head coach. After Handy informed the team at the meeting, Collins stepped up in his first head coach moment—one he didn’t expect so soon.
“I had zero idea that was coming,” Collins said. “Immediately my mind started racing and I know [Handy] said some other things, but I can’t remember them 100 percent.”
The meeting, normally reserved for introductions and general business such as university and program rules, was that, plus a time for players to ask questions about the direction of the program and what Collins intended to change.
“We were all shocked,” said forward Tate Ivanyo, who was entering his sophomore season at the time. “Handy told us that he had faith in Coach Collins, and that he would take good care of the program and lead us to success.”
It’s March 2024 and those questions have been emphatically answered with success the program hasn’t seen since Eisenhower was in office. The direction: new heights. The change: a larger trophy case needed. In Collins’s office sit four trophies from the past two seasons—two each for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.
The Ravens, who had only won one regular season conference title since joining the HCAC in 1988, have now entered the most successful run in program history since the 1950s, and they’ve done it with continuity and unselfishness. When asked to define the culture of the program, Collins doesn’t label it. He simply believes, and repeatedly tells his team, to “get better every day,” whether it be on the court, in the classroom, or as a person.
Coming off of a successful 2022-23 campaign, AU was slated to return every key player, but that’s not always how things work out in today’s game as players seek more playing time and perceive better opportunities elsewhere.
However, it did work out that way for Collins and AU, and the Ravens were set to be favorites rather than a surprise story. The transition from hunter to hunted can be daunting, along with the challenge of maintaining egos that come from success.
“There aren’t many egos going around [in the locker room],” said Ivanyo. “Coach talked to us a lot about egos coming off a championship season. Sometimes guys can feel like they’re on a platform now that they’ve done something, but we haven’t really experienced any of that. This is one of the few teams I’ve ever been on where everyone gets along and cares for each other. Of course, we all want individual success, but that is not the priority. Ultimately, we want team success.”
Kenney Troutman’s introduction to AU basketball was that August 2022 meeting when he found out that Collins would be his coach instead of Handy. The freshman played limited minutes as the Ravens made their run, and while he enjoyed the ride, he wanted to see an increased role in 2023-24.
A hard worker his whole life, Troutman would wake up early every morning to get shots up with his father, whom he affectionately calls “Pops.” Thirteen degrees and dark outside at 6 a.m.? Pops would position his car just right so the headlights would shine on the family’s basketball hoop in the driveway.
Collins told Troutman he would need to work to improve in the offseason to break into the rotation, which was returning everyone from the year be- fore. So why did he return knowing the task that was
ahead of him?
“I did a lot of maturing over the summer [of 2023] and I knew what kind of team we had coming back,” said Troutman. His time did eventually come as he broke into the rotation during the 2023- 24 season, and it culminated with him drilling five 3-pointers in the HCAC Tournament championship victory over Hanover.
“Kenney hardly played his freshman season, but he was a big energy guy,” said Ivanyo. “Coming into his sophomore year he had made tremendous improvements across the board to his game. He was a great locker room guy, great leader, and he’s a great example of the growth that we’ve seen in guys in our program.”
Troutman’s unselfishness and realization that he was a part of something bigger than himself are qualities Collins has been able to find in each player on his roster. It’s led to happy times on the hardwood.
It’s May 2024, and Collins is in his office as the quietness of the summer has settled upon AU’s campus. There are still a few recruiting holes to fill for the 2024-25 campaign, and his phone buzzes every now and then during the interview for this story. What’s his secret sauce? Why are players willing to stay? What is his recruiting pitch?
“You’re seeing transfers out of every program in college basketball,” Collins said. “We’ve been immune to that over the last five years at AU. This shows that we’re upfront about who we are as a program and university in the recruiting process. People who go through the recruiting process and come here generally leave pretty happy. We’d love to keep it that way.”
August 2022 isn’t all that far off in the rearview mirror, but the shock is gone. Collins is here to stay. So is his team.
Anderson University educates students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized for excellence in business, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, music, nursing, psychology, and teacher education programs. Established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God, the university remains committed to its Christ-centered mission.