Rodney Terry details how Marcus Carr's quiet night illustrates his growth

For the most part of Texas’ win over Baylor this week, Marcus Carr was quiet. But the Longhorns guard stepped up when it mattered, and Rodney Terry said that shows how much he’s grown this year.

Carr had just five points, but hit a key jumper with 31 seconds left to put the Longhorns up 74-71 — effectively icing the game. Terry cited foul trouble in the first half as a reason why Carr didn’t score as much, but said his ability to stay the course before making that big shot speaks to how he’s evolved his game this year.

“It’s the second game that he’s had some early foul trouble,” Terry said. “Had two fouls again in the first half. Marcus all year, though, hasn’t really forced the issue all year long. He’s really, over the course of this season, learned to trust his teammates. He’s played within himself. Even on nights that he’s scored really big, he’s played within himself, he’s taking good shots. He’s really just embraced the role of trusting his teammates.

“When it’s time for him to take over and make a big shot — he made a big shot down the stretch — I’ll say, ‘Hey, it’s your time right now.’ He knew what that meant, and he made a big shot for us.”

Carr leads Texas with 16.7 points per game this season and is a big reason why the Longhorns are now 18-4 overall and 7-2 in Big 12 play after that big win over Baylor. Texas is gearing up for another important matchup with Kansas State Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Rodney Terry explains why win vs. Baylor meant so much for Texas

As good as Texas has been this season, the Longhorns got a bit of a wake-up call in Knoxville during their 82-71 loss to Tennessee. However, that was the foundation on which Rodney Terry’s pride was built on after they responded on Monday night against Baylor.

Terry applauded his team’s answer following their 76-71 victory over the Bears. He said the response from his staff and players meant everything to him, especially against a conference foe that they haven’t had much success against as of late.

“I was really proud of the way our guys responded to getting beat,” Terry said. “They got a chance to pick themselves up off the mat from Saturday against a team that, again, is an elite team. I was just proud of the way they really responded.”