Will Seton Hall revoke Aquille Carr’s scholarship offer after his arrest?
When Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard returns from his team's exhibition tour of Spain this week, he'll have a crucial decision to make.
He must decide whether to cut ties with top recruit Aquille Carr in the wake of the highly touted point guard's arrest for allegedly assaulting the 26-year-old mother of his daughter Friday night.
The Baltimore Sun reported that an argument between Carr, 18, and Treshonda Williams turned violent outside a Baltimore trade school when she told him she didn't want to be with him anymore. Carr is accused of throwing Williams to the ground and kicking and punching her, though the responding officer told the Sun that Williams didn't have any visible injuries.
It's worth noting that Carr has not been convicted of any crime and has no prior history of run-ins with the law, but there have been a few other warning signs that Willard will have to consider.
Carr, Rivals.com's No. 50 recruit in the Class of 2013, transferred from Patterson High (Md) to St. Patrick (N.J.) in March to improve his grades, only to return to Patterson less than two months later in part because of attendance issues. He also appeared on fliers publicly promoting an 18-and-over after party at the "Bedroom VIP Lounge" in Baltimore on Thursday.
What complicates the decision further for Willard is that Carr is capable of spearheading the rejuvenation of Seton Hall basketball if he can stay out of trouble.
At 5-foot-7, 140 pounds, Carr is such an electrifying talent he has earned the now-ironic nickname "Crimestopper" because, it is said, crime stops in East Baltimore when he's on the court. Videos of his high-flying dunks and ankle-breaking crossover dribbles have amassed millions of views on YouTube, and he once received a $750,000 contract offer from an Italian pro team after scoring 45 points in a U-19 tournament in Milan.
It's rare for Seton Hall to attract a player capable of delivering both 20-win seasons and sellout crowds, so the Pirates can't simply cut Carr loose without a second thought. At the same time, Willard can't afford to undo all the work he's done to improve the reputation of Seton Hall basketball after years of off-the-court trouble under former coach Bobby Gonzalez.
Willard realistically has three choices. He can revoke Carr's scholarship offer now and begin his hunt for another Class 0f 2013 point guard. He can wait a couple months to see if Carr is convicted before taking action, risking that other point guard options will commit elsewhere in the meantime. Or he can remain loyal to Carr and hope that he will mature and avoid future off-court trouble.
Many Seton Hall fans already seem resigned to the idea Carr may never wear a Pirates uniform. We'll find out soon if Willard feels the same.
