Cam Carr discussed transfer possibility in May, said 'loyalty means a lot to me'
Whatever happened to cause Tennessee Basketball’s Cam Carr to transfer, it happened fast. In an interview with Volquest in May, the sophomore wing talked at length about his decision to stay with the Vols after his freshman season and cited both Rick Barnes and loyalty as big reasons why.
“Overall I think this was a pretty easy decision and I’m glad,” Carr told VQ’s Rob Lewis back in May. “Loyalty means a lot to me.”
Carr did a 180 on Monday, deciding to leave Tennessee while trying to redshirt this season and eventually enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Barnes said after No. 1 Tennessee’s 82-64 win over MTSU on Monday night that Carr “just walked out” and didn’t discuss the decision with him. He said the move surprised and disappointed his teammates and left the coach “baffled.”
‘I still feel like this is the best place and the best opportunity for me’
The move came after Carr admitted in May that outside parties had reached out to his family wondering if he would be entering the portal after averaging 4.3 minutes per game in 14 games last season.
“Some people reached out to my parents wanting to know if I was going to enter the transfer portal,” Carr said in May, “or if I was interested in leaving.
“I sat down and talked with my parents about it, but it wasn’t a hard decision. I still feel like this is the best place and the best opportunity for me.”
Carr has not spoken publicly since it was reported that he would be entering the transfer portal.
He said in May that he leaned on his dad, Chris Carr, while going through the process after last season ended with Tennessee’s run to the Elite Eight. Chris Carr played six years in the NBA with six different teams between 1995 and 2001.
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“My dad told me, ‘you’re not transferring, there’s no reason to,’” Carr said. “I think that Coach Barnes is a great coach and he can help me get to where I want to go.”
“My parents understand what’s going on and what’s important,” Carr added. “No doubt having them in my corner is a big benefit. They’re very helpful, they understand where I’m at and where I want to go.”
Cam Carr averaged 10.3 minutes per game in four games this season
Carr averaged 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game off the bench over the first four games of the season this season.
Carr had been sidelined since November 17 with a ligament injury in his left thumb that required surgery.
He had the cast removed on his thumb last week and had been working through individual drills during practice while he was sidelined with the injury. The original timeline for return was 4-6 weeks.
“We were obviously counting on him being part of the team,” Barnes said.“Surprised his teammates. They were very disappointed. So from here on, there is nothing to really talk about. He made his decision. No reason. It’s baffling to be quite honest with you.”
