Impact Freshman Season Coming For Cameron Carr
Entering 2023, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes and his staff will need to prioritize three-point shooting. Not only was Tennessee lacking shooting this season, but some of the guys that were supposed to shoot the ball well had down years.
The Vols finished the season No. 231 in three point percentage, and that isn't a problem that can be fixed with one guy. Tennessee can't fix this problem with just one guy, but they do have a guy coming in that will help. Let me introduce you to one of the most underrated incoming freshmen in the country: Cameron Carr.
Recruiting services have underrated Carr for quite some time now. 247 has Carr as the highest out of any major sites, and they only have him at 48. Carr is closer to a top 20 prospect than he is outside the top 50. Carr's rise in the first place is because of the year he had at Link Academy, proving himself as a capable offensive player, both spotting up for threes and getting in the lane.
While Carr has good skills, his size is also a plus. Carr is either listed at 6'4 or 6'5, depending on what site you're looking at. That will be key when it comes to being able to shoot over SEC wings with good length.
However, for Carr to reach his full potential as fast as possible, he will definitely need to put on some weight. 247Sports only lists him at 160 pounds, and while he's proven to be able to put the ball on the floor and get in the lane, he will struggle to do against older players in the SEC who have been in college weight rooms for multiple years.
While Carr's weight could also be a concern defensively, that's not something I'm worried too much about with him. With a full summer at Tennessee and with Barnes' system, Carr will be an aggressive perimeter defender by the start of the season. It might take a couple of years for him to get to the level that Santiago Vescovi is at defensively, but with how many guys currently are great on-ball defenders in Knoxville, Carr doesn't have to be elite.
The minutes and actual role is tough to predict as we have yet to determine which Tennessee players are coming back. Carr could be an off-the-bench floor spacer whose ability creates better driving lanes for other guys. He could also be a starter that knocks down three threes a game. We truly don't know how much of an impact Carr can have as a freshman, but Barnes will need to find a way to play him.
Overall, it couldn't hurt Tennessee to add another shooter in addition to Carr, even if Santiago Vescovi decides to stay for another year. The Vols were arguably a top-five team at full strength this year and then dealt with a plethora of injuries down the stretch. With the right guys returning, combined with the freshman and portal additions, we could see Cameron Carr making an impact on one of the top-ranked teams in the country to start the season.
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