Texas Lands Coveted Transfer Marcus Carr
It's been four grueling months since Texas basketball last played a game.
A disappointing first round loss in March to Abilene Christian put an abrupt end to the first real championship dreams for the Horns in the Shaka Smart era and sent the burnt orange packing into another offseason with seemingly nothing to look forward to.
It may not have been obvious at the time, but was the loss exactly what this program needed? In a way, yes.
It set in motion a turn of events that has now put Texas in serious national championship talk and another domino just fell into place.
On Saturday, highly sought after Minnesota transfer point guard Marcus Carr announced his commitment to Texas through his social media.
Carr had been considering a professional opportunity with the NBL in Australia before committing to Beard's squad for 2021. Louisville, Kansas, and Kentucky also had been in the mix for Carr, but it seems like his visit to Austin earlier this week helped sway the decision in favor of the burnt orange.
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The Toronto native had been flirting with a journey through the NBA draft process, but opted-out at the end of last month. Here's a look at Carr during scrimmages against other pro-level prospects.
Texas now has their seventh transfer addition of the offseason. Beard has been working his craft as a recruiter, as he has managed to attract the best-of-the-best according to transfer rankings by CBS Sports and WatchStadium.com.
Both Carr and new Texas center Tre Mitchell came in at one and two respectively on each list.
Carr will be going into his senior year of eligibility and will likely earn the starting role from day one. The 6-foot-2 guard has proven he can effectively carry the reigns as a starting point-guard with a heavy workload, something he's done throughout his time in college.
In his freshman season at Pittsburgh in 2017-2018, Carr led the Panthers in minutes per game (28.6) and total assists (129). After sitting out the next year due to old NCAA transfer rules, Carr used his redshirt sophomore year in 2019 to make a name for himself at the University of Minnesota.
Carr established his role as an alpha floor general during that season, as he once again led his team in minutes per game (36.8), while finishing second in points (15.4). He also broke a Minnesota program record with 207 assists on the year.
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Carr has led his team in total minutes and assists during each year of college. Yet, it's his elite scoring ability that sets him apart from other top point-guards in the country.
He's exhibited NBA-level range from deep and has a step-back that easily creates space from the average college defender. Carr put this on display to the max last season, leading the Golden Gophers in points (19.4) and threes made (60).
The transfer talent of this new roster assembled by new Texas coach Chris Beard now has Texas firmly in position to contend for a national championship.
CONTINUE READING: Big 12 Officials: Horns Down Will Lead To A Taunting Penalty
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