Plebe has been a pleasant surprise for Navy men's basketball program

Navy's John Carter Jr. ranks fourth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding, averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 boards. On Monday, the Tennessee native was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week for the third time this season. (Paul W. Gillespie / Capital Gazette)After eight years at the Naval Academy, Ed DeChellis has learned you cannot rely on a plebe.

Navy’s eighth-year head coach has seen too many of his first-year men’s basketball players struggle with the academic and military demands of the institution.

However, DeChellis had high hopes that John Carter Jr. could contribute as a freshman. The 6-foot-4, 188-pound swingman led the Naval Academy Prep School team in scoring and…