Texas basketball has star player cleared for action

Texas point guard Marcus Carr has been officially cleared to play for the Longhorns, according to college basketball expert Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. The new addition for Texas previously played at both Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

Marcus Carr: Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year

Carr getting ruled eligible is massive for the No. 5 Texas Longhorns roster, as he was named the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year by the Big `12 media.

Carr played and started all 60 games during his time with Minnesota. The 6-2, 195-pounder averaged 17.4 points per game and 5.8 assists per game for the Golden Gophers. His 5.8 assists per game currently ranks first in Golden Gopher basketball history. The talented point guard also posted a 2.32 assist-to-turnover ratio while at Minnesota.

Last year as a redshirt junior during the 2020-2021 season, Carr once again established himself as one of the premiere players in the Big Ten Conference. He ranked first in the Big Ten in minutes played (35.8 minutes per game), third in scoring (19.4 points per game), and assists (4.9 assists per game).

Carr has racked up numerous pre-season awards and honors for the Longhorns and he’s expected to make a splash in a big way for their roster this season.

Now that he’s officially eligible, Jon Rothstein gave his thoughts on the Longhorns’ roster for the 2021-2022 college basketball season.

The ‘Horns are expected to be one of the most dominant teams in all of college basketball.

Texas has tremendous shotmaking with Marcus Carr, Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey, & Jase Febres. Longhorns don't have vintage athleticism. More of a cerebral team.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 21, 2021

The Ontario, Canada native erupted for 41 points against Nebraska last season, nearly matching the highest point total ever scored in a single game by a Minnesota player (42).

A consistently dominant scorer of the basketball, Carr pumped in double figures in 26 of his 29 games last season. He also had 12 games with at least 20 points, and four 30-point games.

NBL, Texas, or Gonzaga

In the 2021 off-season, Carr was without a doubt, one of the most coveted transfer prospects in all of college basketball.

When Carr decided to transfer to Texas, he decided between Texas, the NBL (Australia), or Gonzaga. He originally decided to test the NBA waters earlier in his decision process, but ultimately decided against entering the 2021 NBA Draft.

Texas head coach Chris Beard has totally revamped a roster that lost four players to the NBA last off-season. Big things are expected of his team during the 2021-2022 campaign.

At the time of landing the talented transfer, Kevin Borba from Longhorns Wire even noted that, “If first-year head coach Chris Beard and the Longhorns add Carr to the mix, they very well could be the preseason favorites to win it all.”

The Texas Longhorns play their first game of the season against Houston Baptist on Nov. 9 at 9:00 p.m. EST.