Marcus Carr rediscovers shooting touch in time for Texas men's basketball homestretch
A smidgeon of unselfishness might be the only flaw in Marcus Carr’s game during a stellar senior season.
Carr, the Longhorns’ leading scorer and one of 30 players in contention to be a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, broke out of a brief scoring slump against Kansas with 29 points in Monday’s 88-80 road loss.
Interim coach Rodney Terry quickly credits Carr for his heady play and willingness to find an open teammate, but he also acknowledges that a bit more selfishness could help Texas (19-5, 8-3) in the taut moments of what is shaping up as a thrilling homestretch in Big 12 play.
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“As coaches, sometimes we have to say, ‘Hey, Marcus, it’s time for you to step up now,’ ” Terry said Friday. “Marcus has been a guy all year who lets the game come to him. Sometimes we want him to take shots that he passes up. He’s been extremely unselfish all year long. He plays to win.”
How did Marcus Carr break out of his slump?
The fifth-year senior guard averaged just 8.7 points in his three contests before the game against Kansas. He looked for his shot in Lawrence while making 10 of 21 attempts from the field as well as 6 of 7 foul shots.
To his credit, Carr doesn’t need any special attention or scorching pep talks from the coaching staff to rediscover his scoring touch.
“He’s the same guy when he scores 20 points a game or when he scores five points a game,” Terry said. “We’ve won games when he scores less than double figures, because he’s not a guy who’s going to force shots. That speaks to his maturity and the type of player he’s been over the course of his career.”
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What concerns does Texas have against West Virginia?
Carr’s second-best scoring output of the season — he matched a career high with 41 points in a win over Texas A&M-Commerce during the Christmas break — was part of an efficient offensive evening for the Longhorns, who shot 47.6% from the field and made 14 of 18 free throws.
But scoring points wasn’t an issue for Texas on Monday. Protecting the rim was; Kansas took advantage of 15 turnovers while making 36 layups and breaking the Longhorns' four-game win streak in conference play. Texas remains in first place in the Big 12 after that loss but holds just a one-game lead over Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State.
Cutting down on the turnovers and limiting transition baskets will be especially crucial against a sizzling West Virginia squad that has won four of its five games since suffering a 69-61 loss to Texas at home Jan. 21. Led by a head coach, Bob Huggins, who has consistently produced rugged, defensive-minded winners during his four decades on the sidelines, West Virginia (15-9, 4-7) is trying to make a strong case for an NCAA Tournament berth despite its conference record.
“But they could easily be 7-4,” Terry said. “They have a Hall of Fame coach who has his team playing at a very high level right now. They’re scoring the basketball; they always play hard-nosed, aggressive defense; and they’re a physical rebounding team. They have a very tough team.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas guard Marcus Carr has found his shot again at the right time
