Forgotten Sports Heroes

marcus carr minnesota

All-Big Ten Caliber Shooting Guard Lists Kentucky as Finalist in Transfer Sweepstakes

 

The Kentucky Wildcats struggled to a losing season in 2020-2021, on the heels of a stellar 25-6 campaign the previous year for John Calipari’s program.

Recently, the basketball world has been abuzz with rumors that star Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn could be headed to Lexington, which would make the Wildcats instant national title contenders yet again and bolster their front line with one of the most powerful and productive veteran centers in the college basketball world.

Cockburn’s game is reminiscent of old school centers like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning, and he’s at his best when screen and rolling to the basket and getting the ball in the post, using his dominant combination of size and strength to finish over smaller defenders.


He finished as an All-Big Ten First-Team member last year and even dominated fellow first team member Hunter Dickinson of Michigan last season in their head-to-head clashes in the post.

Now, the Wildcats have made the finalists’ list for yet another All-Big Ten performer — one who could be even more talented, and with a higher ceiling than the Illini big man.

Minnesota Star Marcus Carr Includes Wildcats in Final Four Destinations List

 

According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Minnesota Golden Gophers Second Team All-Big Ten performer Marcus Carr has narrowed his list of transfer destination finalists down to four.

Carr played for Pittsburgh from 2017-2018, before joining coach Richard Pitino in Minneapolis, where he became a star over his two seasons with Minnesota.

Carr finished third in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.4 points and 4.9 assists, and was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the best point guard in college basketball.

The graduate transfer has junior eligibility, and finished as the program’s all-time leader in assists, showing off the versatility of his game despite playing for an uneven team that could never quite get over the hump.


In 2020-2021, he was a Second Team All-Big Ten performer in a conference that was rated the nation’s best over the course of the regular season.

 

 

The Wildcats have a stacked recruiting class coming in for 2021-2022, but are lacking depth and proven leadership as well as scoring at the shooting guard position — areas where Carr excels.

While Carr has been mostly mum about which of the Final Four he is most likely to choose, one thing’s for certain — whoever picks up the highly underrated, explosive shooting guard is going to get a game-changing, potential All-Conference player from day one, no matter where he lands.