Penn State Basketball: Can Tony Carr land on an All-Big Ten Team?

Tony Carr was one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten last season, but how big of a jump can he make entering his sophomore year for Penn State basketball?

A four-star recruit (ranked #52 by 247Sports) out of high school, Tony Carr jumped into the rotation for Penn State basketball this past season and was excellent. Playing 32.8 minutes per game in 33 games, Carr averaged 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Although the Nittany Lions only went 15-18 (6-2 Big Ten) last season, Carr was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Heading into this season, though, could it be possible that Carr is named to an All-Conference team? There is a chance.

As both Penn State basketball and Tony Carr progress throughout the offseason and the beginning of this next season, Carr’s exposure will certainly go up. At 6’5″, Carr is able to use his size at the guard position to make an impact on both ends of the floor. As far as efficiency goes, Carr has a long way to go, as he shot just 37.7% from the field and a measly 32.0% from three.

Carr will be called on to be the primary offensive weapon for the Nittany Lions this season both as a scorer and a facilitator. With his size, Carr has the ability to both shoot and see over his defender, which allows him to score and make quality reads and passes on offense. Defensively, his size also makes him difficult to score on.

Statistically, it is possible that Carr could up his averages across the board to 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game this season. Since the 1992-93 season, only three Big Ten players have put up those numbers during a season: D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State – 2014-15), Evan Turner (Ohio State – 2009-10), and Denzel Valentine (Michigan State – 2015-16). Each of these players was named to the All-Big Ten First Team in their respective seasons. If Carr could do that, then he could easily be selected to an All-Big Ten team.

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Looking at last season’s All-Big Ten teams, there is a chance that Tony Carr could find a way onto a team this season. Of course, Carr’s own contributions will be the top factor in whether or not he is selected to those teams, but it is important to note both Penn State’s success and who his competitors will be for a selection in discussing his candidacy.

Of the guards who made the All-Big Ten teams last season, the only returners are Bryant McIntosh and Nate Mason. It is expected that both of them will be selected once again, as they are the top two guards in the conference. As of now, there are four guards that look to be potential All-Big Ten players: Michigan State’s Cassius Winston, Maryland’s Anthony Cowan, Rutgers’ Corey Sanders, and Carr.

For Winston and Cowan, they will have the advantage of playing on a team expected to finish near the top of the conference. Their team success will help them garner more exposure and they will have even more opportunity to have clutch performances in high-profile games. For Sanders and Carr, however, they will need to rely more on their individual contributions as well as their team’s hopefully having better seasons than expected.

Next: Best returning players in the Big Ten

For Penn State basketball, it is going to take more than star play by Tony Carr to become a top team in the conference, but Carr’s play is certainly worth noting. He was a high-level recruit out of high school, and this season could find him on an All-Big Ten Team, which can only help the program in terms of recruiting. There are plenty of really good guards in the conference, and it would be a huge feat for Carr to be selected to one of those teams by the end of his sophomore season.