At 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds, Aquille Carr is a unique player who has drawn comparisons to Muggsy Bogues, Spud Webb and Earl Boykins.
Because of his size and style of play, his recruitment will be different in that only certain types of programs will pursue him.
At this point, says Baltimore Patterson head coach Harry Martin, four schools are working the hardest on Carr, one of the top point guards in the Class of 2013.
“Probably the ones that I’ve seen that express the most interest are Seton Hall, Baylor, Loyola Marymount and Xavier,” Martin told SNY.tv by phone Tuesday. “They are probably the top four that have really been around.”
Martin has also heard from Texas, Oklahoma State and DePaul.
Carr was named the Baltimore Metro Player of the Year in 2010 after averaging 31.7 points a game. This year, he’s averaging 21 points through six games, including a 36-point performance in Saturday’s 71-66 OT loss to Isaiah Whitehead and Lincoln in the Under Armour I-95 High School Challenge at Towson University.
Martin says Carr’s scoring average is down because he’s trying to get more of his teammates involved and has “more pieces around him.”
According to MaxPreps.com, Carr’s highlight reel from HoopMixtape.com has generated almost 2.5 million views on YouTube.
On Jan. 14, Patterson will be in Jersey City when Carr and company take on Tyler Ennis and St. Benedict’s Prep in the Dan Finn Classic.
Martin says Carr isn’t too focused on his recruitment just yet because he’s “trying to win a state title this year.”
A year ago, Carr led Patterson to the state championship game before losing to North Point, 76-72.
Still, because of his size and style of play, Carr’s recruitment is unique.
“A lot of people with his size, that’s maybe a question mark in certain people’s minds,” Martin said.
“And then maybe his style. He wants to get up and down. Depending on the team and the circumstances, he needs to have the ball in his hands.”
So far, Martin said Baylor and assistant Jerome Tang have made an impact on Carr with their presentation.
“With the new technology, the iPad, they came in and gave a nice flashy thing, what the players get, what the school can offer,” Martin said. “It shows the crowds. They’re a program definitely on the rise. Their locker room is one of the best in the country.”
Seton Hall is also involved with Shaheen Holloway and Chris Pompey recruiting.
“They’ve been around a lot,” Martin said.
Loyola Marymount is also a factor. They play at Morgan State in Baltimore Wednesday and Carr will attend, Martin said.
Xavier has also followed Carr “really hard,” Martin said.
While there have been reports that Carr was offered a pro contract to play overseas, Martin says Carr wants to play college ball before playing for pay.
“He really wants to play college basketball,” Martin said. “We talked about it, playing on TV and that type of stuff. He’s excited with the college coaches coming in and showing different things.”
