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‘BT Powerhouse 25’ - #11 Tony Carr

BTPowerhouse's staff counts down the best players in the Big Ten heading into the 2017-’18 season.

By Bryce Bennett
NCAA Basketball: Penn State at Minnesota Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

In the months leading up to the 2017-’18 college basketball season, BTPowerhouse will be releasing a new series called the 'BTPowerhouse 25,' which features the Top 25 players in the Big Ten as voted by members of the staff. All players set to be on Big Ten rosters for next season were eligible during the staff vote with their top selection receiving 25 points and their 25th and final selection receiving 1 point.

The sophomore point guard from Penn State comes in at 11th in our rankings. Carr was excellent in his freshman campaign and looks to take his game to the next level this season.

‘BTPowerhouse 25’ - #11 Tony Carr:

  • Eligibility: Sophomore
  • Career Totals: 33 games, 1,084 minutes, 436 points, 139 assists, 158 rebounds, 22 steals
  • 2016-’17 Averages: 33 games, 13.2 points, 4.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals
  • Positional Role: Point Guard

Carr started every game in his freshman season and came roaring out of the gate, averaging double figures in his first seven collegiate games. Some freshman shooting struggles happened, but Carr quickly became one of the go-to scorers for Penn State throughout 2015-’16.

Let’s take a look a deeper look at what makes Carr one of the best young players in the Big Ten and how he can get even better this season.

Player Strengths

Carr’s ability to score is his biggest strength. The 6-foot-3 inch guard uses his talent in the open floor to get to the basket and great length for a lethal mid-range game off high-ball screens. Opponents must respect Carr’s ability to hit three-pointers, as he hit multiple three-pointers in 12 games last season.

The talented sophomore is also a great rebounder. In nine games last season, Carr pulled down at least seven rebounds. His first double-double came in the non-conference slate against Morgan State. Expect a last season’s average of 4.8 a game to rise this season.

Check out Carr’s ability to score in a highlight video courtesy of Nittany Nation.

Areas for Improvement

Turnovers is the area where Carr needs to improve. He averaged 2.6 turnovers per game last season. The February 7th win against No. 21 Maryland was the only game last season in which Carr did not have a turnover. Notably, Carr had seven games where he had at least four turnovers.

Carr could also stand to be more efficient from long distance. Carr averaged 3.1 three-pointer’s per game, but shot just 32 percent on the season. Overall, Carr only shot 37 percent from the field on nearly 12 shot attempts.

Player Projection

There is still so much potential with Carr. Expect the Philadelphia native to be more efficient offensively and that will mean high shooting percentages, lower turnovers and a higher scoring average. Given Carr’s size and abilities, it is within reason that Carr could average 15-17 points per game.

Will this translate to team success? The young Nittany Lion core of Carr, Lamar Stephens and Mike Watkins is also talented a trio of players as Penn State has had, but depth seems to be an annual issue for Penn State. It will be interesting to watch.

‘BT Powerhouse 25’ Rankings:

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