Gophers guard Marcus Carr earns All-Big Ten honors
Marcus Carr had 19 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer as the Gophers beat Purdue 71-68 on Thursday at Williams Arena. ((credit: University of Minnesota Athletics))
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota junior guard Marcus Carr on Tuesday was named Second Team All-Big Ten by the media, Third Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and was also a First Team All-Big Ten selection by the Associated Press.
Carr finished the Big Ten regular season third in scoring at 19.6 points per game, and third in assists at 4.9 per game. He led the league with 35.6 minutes per game. With two seasons not yet completed, Carr has gone over 1,000 points for his career in 58 games.
Carr said Tuesday as the Gophers prepare for the Big Ten Tournament he considers the honors a blessing, but he’s focused on trying to lead Minnesota to an NCAA Tournament berth.
"It’s definitely an honor. I’m very appreciative of it. It’s definitely a couple milestones for my career, but I’d rather be in a different position ranked in the Big Ten than to have first team, second team, third team honors," Carr said.
In his Gophers career, Carr is averaging 17.4 points and 5.8 assists per game. He is expected to declare for the NBA Draft after the season, like he did last year, but this might be his final season in Minnesota after transferring from Pittsburgh three years ago.
"He’s been phenomenal. He’s been electric at times, he’s hit some huge shots. He plays with great confidence. Passes the ball extremely well. I don’t know what his future holds, but I believe it’s bright," Gophers coach Richard Pitino said. "I think he’s got a chance to go to the NBA."
Gabe Kalscheur was nominated as Minnesota’s Sportsmanship Award for the Big Ten on Tuesday. He started 88 straight games before missing the last six with a broken finger on his shooting hand. He’s expected to miss the Big Ten Tournament.
Kalscheur is Minnesota’s top defender, and third-leading scorer at 9.2 points per game. He’s sixth in program history with 180 made 3-pointers. Kalscheur is 84 points away from scoring 1,000 for his career.