Live Scouting: 4-star Michigan State signee Coen Carr at the Bob Kirk Invitational

Coen Carr is widely considered one of the nation’s most explosive players. The No. 28 player in the 2023 On3 150 has started the season strong for his Greenville (SC) Legacy Early College High School program.

Carr is committed to Tom Izzo and is a part of the No. 6 ranked Michigan State Spartans recruiting class. Carr has been a steady riser in the rankings, cracking the top 30 after a big summer on Nike’s EYBL Circuit and with the USA Basketball program.

I recently made the mountainous trip to Cumberland, Maryland, for the Bob Kirk Invitational. Carr’s Legacy Early College team had two games. In the neverending quest for information, I find it imperative to see players in multiple settings. I was able to get multiple viewings of Carr this summer with the Georgia Stars, and my last viewing of the four-star was in early October at the USA Basketball junior minicamp.

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This was my first viewing of the 6-foot-7 wing this high school season. Both of his games in this event were NIBC League games, so he matched up with Bel Aire (KS) Sunrise Christian and Cumberland (MD) Bishop Walsh.

Let’s break down what I saw and how Coen Carr’s game continues to improve.

Carr’s explosion

So, you cannot have a conversation about Coen Carr without starting with his explosive pop. It is elite. It is the differentiator that makes him special. Even this Fall, sharing a court with 60 other players at the invite-only USA Basketball junior minicamp, Carr’s explosion popped.

Carr is a functional athlete. By that, I am saying that he knows how to use his eye-popping athleticism to produce on the court. And to be honest, it is not all with dunks. Sure, that is an integral part of his game, and the ferocity with which he throws it down brings an intimidation factor. His pop actually starts on the defensive end.

Along with Carr’s athleticism, he brings a sense of toughness to the court. Carr is not afraid to stick his nose in the middle of the action and make a play. This shows on the defensive end, which we will talk about in a second, but also on the boards.

During the Bob Kirk Invitational, the wing averaged 5.0 rebounds per game. This is coming off a Summer that saw the four-star average 8.7 rebounds during Nike’s Peach Jam. Carr continues to develop into a player who allows his explosion and frame to make plays.

His explosion on the defensive end

Carr is listed at 6-foot-7. He has a lengthy frame and natural timing off the ball. The wing is able to move his feet with perimeter guys and switch down to guard on the block. There is a multi-faceted aspect to his defensive upside that intrigues.

He has come a long way on this end of the floor, always having the instincts but growing over the past ten or so months with the footwork and the understanding of angles. Carr still has a ways to go with the finer points of defense to become a truly elite defensive player, but his upside is certainly that.

During the Bob Kirk Invitational, Carr averaged 2.0 steals per game. The switchability we spoke about earlier in this article was on display as he jumped passing lanes and battled on the blocks.

During Peach Jam, Carr averaged 1.3 steals per game. There is a ball-hawk nature to his game. Another aspect is his weak-side shot-blocking talent. I believe Carr surprises people, still with his leaping ability. Carr had the block of the event. The opposing guard was hard driving right from the top of the key; Carr sunk down from his man on the left side of the floor, leaped, and with his head at the rim, threw the ball into the stands.

Not in Coen Carr’s house‼️@lec_hoops | @Coencarr2 pic.twitter.com/5oNQLFbQGh

— NIBC (@NIBCOfficial) December 9, 2022

Watching this play unfold, you get an understanding of what Carr brings to the table defensively. You see his explosion and his length, but most importantly, you see his off-ball timing.

Carr on offense

Quite frankly, this is the part of Coen Carr’s game that has brought the most scrutiny. However, Carr has learned how to produce at the highest level within himself.

During this event, Carr finished 9-12 (75%) from the field and averaged 17.0 points. During his first game, against Sunrise Christian, he scored 16 points on six shots. He was also 1-of-1 from three in that game. In Carr’s second game of the weekend, against Bishop Walsh, he finished with 18 points on the same six shots.

Carr is a vertical lob threat at any point in the game. Playing as the roll man in pick and roll, in the dunker spots, or in transition, you have to stay connected to Carr. One way the wing has developed in his game is with his vision.

In his passing, Carr doesn’t do anything spectacular; however, he simply just reads the defense. A few times at the Bob Kirk, Legacy used Carr as a secondary initiator. They lined him up in the high or mid-post and ran actions off him. Carr showed feel in making the correct reads, and the timing and touch on his passes were on point.

The jump shot is the question mark. Against Sunrise, Carr was 1-for-1 from three and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. While there is still some inconsistency there, there is also improved. He has touch; it is just a matter of cleaning up the consistency and improving the confidence.