The Gophers have one of the Big Ten's top players entering the 2020-21 season with junior point guard Marcus Carr named to the preseason all-conference basketball team, the league announced Monday.

Carr is the Big Ten's returning leader with 6.7 assists per game last season, which also led to him setting the school single-season record with 207 assists.

Carr's 6.7 assists per game is the highest mark for any returning player among the high major conferences going into this season.

Not only was Carr a dangerous passer, but the 6-foot-2 Toronto native also averaged 15.4 points per game, which included a career-high 35 points in one of two wins against Ohio State last season. His game-deciding three-pointer on the road against the Buckeyes also led to the program's first win in Columbus since 2005.

How important is Carr's scoring to the Gophers' sucesss? They were 2-10 when he scored 12 points or fewer in 2019-20. He was named co-captain last year as a sophomore and took a backseat to All-American big man Daniel Oturu. But now this is his team.

After testing the waters for the NBA draft this summer, Carr returned to the Gophers this fall in the best shape of his career.

Becoming more efficient offensively (39% from the field) and getting him more rest (38 minutes per game in Big Ten play to lead all conference players) could make him one of the top point guards not just in the Big Ten but the country.

Iowa big man and the Big Ten's leading returning scorer Luka Garza is the conference's preseason player of the year after winning the award last season. Garza and Illinois junior guard Ayo Dosunmu were the only unanimous players selected by the media to the all-preaseason team.

2020-21 MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

Luka Garza, Iowa

Joe Wieskamp, Iowa

Aaron Henry, Michigan State

Marcus Carr, Minnesotaa

Trevion Williams, Purdue

Geo Baker, Rutgers

Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin