Irish need guard Carroll's defensive skills to fend off Deamon Deacons
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Associate Sports Editor
NEW YORK
His wide blue eyes stretched open far enough to catch every play on the court. His alert body bounced up and down in a defensive stance primed to stave off an opponent's drive. His arms waved back and forth, warning the opposition that any shot or pass would have to get by him first.
Penn State didn't listen to any of the warning signs, attempting, instead, to lob the ball past Irish guard Matt Carroll into the paint in Tuesday's game against Notre Dame. But Carroll was ready. He leapt high into the air, intercepting the pass and batting it into his own hands. He then tossed it down court to teammate Martin Ingelsby for a lay-up.
Now the Nittany Lions wish they had managed to avoid that lesson on how potent Carroll's defense can be. Carroll grabbed a career-high four steals and added five defensive rebounds to assist the Irish in their 73-52 victory.
"You look at Matt Carroll getting all those rebounds last night, and that's something that we've had to bring out of him as a coaching staff," Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty said. "He had five defensive rebounds which is something we emphasize."
None of the Nittany Lions would ever guess that Carroll wasn't always known for his ball.
"Matt's worked very hard," Doherty said. "He wants to be a very good player. It bothers him to make mistakes, which I like. He'll get better and better because he'll work at it. One thing that people recognize is his shooting, but I think defensively he's been very good."
The first-year starter is not afraid to hit the floor for the sake of the team. Carroll dives for every loose ball, and creates more than a few loose balls by wreaking havoc on opponents. Early in Notre Dame's win over Penn State, he was forced to take a seat on the bench due to a bloody knee caused by diving for loose balls.
Just because Carroll has rounded out his hardwood game doesn't mean he's forsaken his role as a scorer.
The Irish frequently turn to him when in need of a three, and his 62 treys this season rank fourth in the Irish record books. When Carroll gets into a groove, fans can virtually count on the ball falling through the hoop. Whether it's a long-distance prayer, a pull-up jumper or a late-game free throw, there's a roll to his shots that stands firmly in favor of Notre Dame.
"Matt's had a great year," Doherty said. "He's a great shooter. And I think when you've got guys that can shoot the ball, that puts a lot of pressure on the defense."
Carroll, who dreams of winning an NCAA Championship, will have a little added motivation in tonight's season finale against Wake Forest. The only two-time Pennsylvania state player of the year nearly signed with Wake Forest over Notre Dame, and questioned his decision to sign with the Irish once former coach John MacLeod announced his resignation.
"Of course [I questioned it], just because once he left, I didn't know who they were going to bring in," Carroll said. "So I started thinking, should I go somewhere else? Should I start looking at other schools? I really didn't know what to expect until I met with Coach [Doherty] and he sat down with me and my family, and we realized this is still the place for me."
Irish fans are breathing a sigh of relief that Carroll wound up at Notre Dame and not at Wake Forest. Hopefully, his impact will prove the difference between bringing home an NIT banner and going home disappointed.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, March 30, 2000
