'I Feel Like Me': Marcus Carr Finding Comfort in 2nd Year with Longhorns
Feeling at home has been a theme for Marcus Carr as of late.
His time away from the Texas Longhorns this summer saw the fifth-year senior return to his hometown of Toronto, Canada to lead his country in the International GLOBL JAM tournament. Averaging 13.2 points and seven assists as the Canadians posted a 2-2 record, Carr got to put his heart into a tournament that clearly had some added meaning.
But in his return back to Austin, it's the little things that have made him feel more settled into his comfort zone entering the 2022-23 season. Changing his jersey number from No. 2 back to the No. 5 that he rocked for his first three years of college is a solid start.
"It feels like home," Carr told LonghornsCountry.com Wednesday as he sported No. 5 following Texas' practice. "I feel like me again a little bit. Happy to be back."
Carr took some time to find a consistent rhythm in his first year with the team last season, but he came through when it mattered most in Texas' two tournament games. He posted 15 points and nine assists against Virginia Tech in the first round and had 23 points and seven assists in Texas' second-round loss to Purdue.
After not making it to the NCAA tournament in his first three seasons, getting a feel for what it was like is adding to what is already mountain-high motivation for this season.
And playing in arguably the toughest conference in the country, Carr and the Longhorns had a taste of championship competition all of last season in the Big 12. Two matchups apiece up against the defending champion Baylor Bears and eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks pinned the team against two of college basketball's top programs.
Though Baylor's personnel looks much different headed into the fall, it wasn't too unfamiliar for Carr when the Canadians faced the Baylor USA team at GLOBL JAM and split the two matchups 1-1. It was an early preview of what the Big 12 gauntlet could look like this season.
"It was summer time for them as well and they also had a couple people out," Carr said. "At the end of the day they're still Baylor, they're playing how they play so it was kind of an easier scout for me and the rest of my teammates up there in Canada just letting them know their tendencies and things like that. I know that they didn't have their team at full strength, but definitely got to see some early tendencies from some of the young guys, so it's gonna be fun playing them again."
But one area of unfamiliarity has crept up on Carr, though he's ready to tackle it head-on. With five new freshman, including two in the backcourt, Carr's role as a leader will be important for a young group that is fixing to see some significant minutes this season.
"Really just trying to impart all my wisdom," he said. "I'm the super old guy now and I wasn't always used to that. So being the older guy having to talk to the young guys, they're honestly great listeners. Guys like Ro (Rowan Brumbaugh) and Terio (Arterio Morris), Dillon (Mitchell), Alex (Anamekwe), all of them."
With the departure of 2021 backcourt partner Courtney Ramey, Carr finds himself alongside a new guard in Iowa State transfer Tyrese Hunter. The 2021-22 Big 12 Freshman of the Year enters his first year in Austin as one of the team's brightest talents, but is still looking to learn from a vet like Carr as he enters just his sophomore season.
"All the young guys who came in - even Rese (Tyrese Hunter), who still has college basketball experience - they're great at asking questions whenever they don't know something. They have no ego, they're coming to us, not just me but the older guys that have been here before and know how to do it. Really just wanting that knowledge, wanting to learn how to get better and really take that next step."
Carr averaged 11.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in his first year with the Longhorns last season. He set a career-high in games played (34) and starts (32) this past season. He was also named an All-Big 12 Third-Team selection.
Now with his old number back and a newfound level of experience, he's ready to hang a championship banner in the brand new Moody Center.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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