Last Thursday, the North Carolina basketball landscape saw a major ripple effect upon Thomas Carr’s announcement to become the newest athletic director at Word of God Christian Academy. Anyone involved with grassroots basketball within last ten years should already know about the Holy Rams and the absolute slew of talent to come through their doors. Sure, everyone will remember the likes of John Wall, TJ Warren, Isaiah Todd, and countless others. However, the addition of Carr could be arguably more valuable than any player acquisition in recent memory. Let’s find out why…
Since his return to the North Carolina scene earlier last summer, Carr has wasted zero time reconnecting himself and being completely plugged-in to the intricacies of the business. He quickly put together his “Tea Marie” squad, a group that immediately became among the most entertaining, competitive, and talented teams across the state. Though their roster was never particularly set in stone, Carr built strong relationships and always found ways to put together a high-level collection of prospects. Add in the ties to college coaches, and it genuinely felt like Carr and Tea Marie became a consistent talking point throughout the summer.
Surely, his incredible success must be attributed to the unusual circumstances of a Covid-marked season—right' Wrong. Actually, Carr continued to be active following the start of the high school season. While he’s more than proven himself as a quality coach and smart basketball mind, his unique ability to connect with players on and off the court is arguably what separates him from other noteworthy coaches. Carr joined Team Loaded and put out his finalized, talent-laden roster prior to any other shoe-circuit program. Locking up high-caliber guys like MJ Rice and LJ Thomas at the start of February is largely unprecedented, but he found a way.
Fast-forward to now, and there’s understandably a ton of intrigue surrounding Carr’s move to Word of God. Although the program has no issues accumulating talent, the “other things” have largely derailed the Holy Rams from sporting the “best North Carolina program in the last five/ten years” title. However, that seems likely to change very soon. Although plenty of folks know Carr for his humorous Twitter presence, it’s unclear if the masses actually realize his significance as a figure within basketball. In the twenty-four hours following his move, two major pieces in Jakwon Moore and Truman Claytor had already announced their respective transfers to Word of God. Obviously it’s still early, but there should be a ton of optimism with Carr and his ability to create a potential dynasty as the Holy Rams’ newest leader.