3 standouts that could lead Texas basketball to the Final Four
Marcus Carr, G
We couldn’t make a list like this without including the heart and soul of this Texas squad this season, senior guard Marcus Carr. The fifth-year senior is having a renaissance-type year in his second season wearing the Burnt Orange.
Carr has legitimately asserted himself in the race for the Big 12 Player of the Year honors as he ranks in the top two in the Big 12 in some of the most important advanced metrics.
- 23.2 player efficiency rating
- 9.8 box plus/minus
- .228 win shares per 40 minutes
- 3.7 win shares
I believe the transformation to Carr’s game this season is something that was a tedious process for the Longhorns last offseason. He’s leaning more into the strengths of his offensive game in a few ways. For one, Terry and the Longhorns are letting Carr run more in transition this season. He ranks among the top three guards in the Big 12 this season in fastbreak points per game, at a clip north of four.
Big 12 points per possession leaders on dribble hand offs:
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) January 27, 2023
1. Marcus Carr (UT), 1.579
2. Adam Flagler (BU), 1.526
3. LJ Cryer (BU), 1.100
4. Grant Sherfield (OU), 1.065
T-5. Keyonte George (BU), 1.000
T-5. De’Vion Harmon (TTU), 1.000 pic.twitter.com/y7ScAoQcJD
They are also getting him involved in more drawn-up plays where he’s more efficient as a shot-maker. For example, he is getting the ball nearly twice as many times to let it fly on dribble handoffs than he did last season. As a result, he is leading the Big 12 in points per possession on dribble handoff plays this season.
He is also the only Big 12 guard this season that is shooting better than 40% from the field on guarded spot-up two-pointers along with averaging at least 4 points from this spot.
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) January 27, 2023
Meanwhile, Carr is still being encouraged to take some spot-up guarded two-pointers, despite the usual low-percentage opportunities those types of shots present. Carr is one of the better tough-shot makers from within the two-point arc, though.
This type of tough-shot-making ability will be really clutch for the Longhorns come postseason time. Another aspect of Carr’s game worth noting this season is the fact that he is one of the Big 12 leaders in clutch time points per game, at a mark of nearly five. Only Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell has more clutch time points per game than Carr this season in the Big 12.
Next. 2 studs, 1 dud from comfortable win over OK State. dark
Although, one part of Carr’s game that is often getting overlooked in Big 12 play this season is his defensive consistency. Carr ranks in the top five in the Big 12 among guards this season in steal percentage in conference play (2.5) along with a career-best 3.2 defensive box plus/minus.
Carr is also contesting opposing shooters well this season. Here are the numbers for opposing shooters when matched up with Carr on the floor this season.
- Paint two-point attempts: 38.8 percent
- Mid-range two-point attempts: 29.9 percent
- Three-point attempts: 34.6 percent