Yesterday BBN was treated to another Cody Fueger “BOOM!” Tweet and the speculation ramped up. For a couple of hours it seemed like nobody knew who it was and then it dropped. Andrew Carr has pledged his final year eligibility to Pope and Kentucky. We’ll take a look at how he fits for this upcoming season. If you’ve missed our other previews you can catch them here:
Offensively
After prioritizing defensive profile Pope has now added a versatile offensive piece with Carr. Car profiles as a 6’10” stretch big who has improved every year in college. The biggest thing of course is his shooting. Last year at Wake Forest he shot 37% from three and was almost automatic in catch and shoot situations. On unguarded threes Carr shot 43% which means the gravity he carries by just being on the floor is a real weapon.
Carr brings more than shooting though as he moves well without the ball which creates space for easy baskets for him or teammates. He’s also fluid enough to get to the rim and finish despite not being an explosive athlete (as a HS prospect he was profiled as a wing and you can still see some of that in his game). Carr is also a capable and willing passer. His AST% at Wake doesn’t jump off the page but that wasn’t really his role. With Pope prioritizing ball movement, I expect we’ll see Carr flourish with the ball in his hands.
Defensively
Carr has improved every year in college on the defensive end. He is by no means a defensive stopper, but he has found ways to be effective. His length offers rim protection and he’s able to do it without fouling. Carr’s defending on the perimeter isn’t necessarily a strength but he has good enough footwork that can avoid being a liability.
Rebounding will also need some work. His TRB% is at 12.7% and Kentucky will want that to be higher. He probably won’t be asked to be playing as the lone big so that should alleviate some need for him to be an elite rebounder, but we all know how tough and physical the SEC is. Kentucky will need everyone to help clean up the glass.
2024 Outlook
We’re starting to get a picture of what Pope wants and I think Carr fits seamlessly. Last year at BYU Pope used Noah Waterman as a stretch big, I expect Carr to be used similarly. His gravity will open up driving lanes for guys like Oweh and Butler but also make plenty of room for an elite post player to get isolated on the block (looking at you Great Osobor). Carr is an important piece because he opens up so many combinations in terms of lineups. He’s going to play 30+ minutes a night and allow everyone else on the team to fill their preferred role.
The roster is coming together nicely and if Mark Pope can close the deal on a couple of dudes Kentucky is looking at the possibilty of being a top 15ish team. I didn’t think that would be possible in Year 1.
