Pitt head basketball coach Kevin Stallings will host 6-foot-2 inch, 170 pound Montverde Academy (FL) combo-guard Marcus Carr this weekend. With secured commitments from Fairfax (VA) Paul VI point guard Aaron Thompson and Tilton (NH) Tilton School power forward /center Terrell Brown, Stallings has three scholarships left to complete the Panthers’ 2017 recruiting class.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the overall atmosphere of the school as well as watching the team practice for the first time,” said Carr. “I’m definetely very excited! I can’t wait to get down to the campus and get a real feel for what it’s really like at Pitt.”
Carr is a bit of a ‘comeback kid’. He tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) shortly before his high school season a year ago and his injury caused a great deal of trepidation with recruiters. An ACL tear for a guard is a distressing blow physically and psychologically. Some, not all, players can return to full functionality after the injury. The ACL provides stability for sports such as basketball, tennis, or skiing where an athlete uses rotational movement (changing directions while moving).
Carr not only had a miraculous recovery, he burst back onto the AAU scene this summer. He spent the summer playing with Stackhouse Elite on the Adidas circuit and his impressive play caught the attention of a myriad high major programs. Marcus amassed offers from Pitt, Missouri, Minnesota, Virginia Teach, Houston, Cincinnati and Rhode Island amongst others.
“What got me really interested in Pitt were the coaches. Coach Stallings and I and the rest of the staff have built a really good relationship over the years and that’s something that I value,” said Carr.
Carr is a very aggressive guard that knows how to get to the rim. He has a variety of mid-range shots and he’s an exceptional passer. Vidal Massiah coached Carr over the summer and he stressed that Marcus has the ability to create shots for himself and he’s equally adept at creating shots for his teammates. Pitt fans watching highlights of Carr will be quickly reminded of former Panther Bradley Wanamaker.
” I would say the strength of my game is my ability to score, my play making, my leadership and my heart,” said Carr. “I love to go out and compete with my teammates night in and night out to win games.”
Pitt may have an edge for Carr’s services for one reason: loyalty. While a large number of programs opted to take a ‘wait and see’ approach with him during his injury, Coach Stallings started recruiting him at Vanderbilt and never backed off. Clearly he’s hoping that his loyalty translates into a commitment.
“For me to give a commitment this weekend, my family and I would have to have no doubt in our minds that Pitt is right place academically and athletically and would be an overall good fit for me.”
Carr is one of four targets that will soon be visiting Pitt. Blair Academy (NJ) guard Matt Turner, New Hampton Prep (NH) forward Kimani Lawrence and St. Andrews (RI) forward Aaron Wheeler will be visiting in the month of October.
