USU star receives top national award

If recent throat surgery hadn't left ESPN's Dick Vitale speechless for a time, seeing Jaycee Carroll's performance last week against Utah Valley and Northern Arizona certainly would have.

Carroll, who averaged 32.5 points in Utah State's wins over the Wolverines and Lumberjacks, was tabbed by Vitale as the National Player of the Week.

Carroll connected on 11-of-16 shots en route to a then season-high 32 points in the win over the Wolverines, and the following night he torched NAU for 33 points on 12-of-16 shooting.

"He catches the ball and just keeps going up in rhythm, and it's unbelievable how well he shoots it," NAU coach Mike Adras said of Carroll's performance. "He just made shot after shot after shot."

The honorable mention All-American went 23-for-31 from the field overall (9-for-13 from the 3-point line) and was 10-for-10 from the line.

"Once you get it going, it can carry over for a couple of games," Carroll said following the win over NAU last Friday night. "I shot the ball well in practice. I shot some extra shots, and I was confident."

He was also named the Western Athletic Conference player of the week.

Vitale's honor is the second in two seasons for Carroll. He earned the award after lighting up New Mexico State for a career-high 44 points on Feb. 7, 2007.

Carroll, a senior, is one of two players in the nation shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 3-point line — 53.6 percent and 51.6 percent, respectively — and better than 90 percent from the foul line (94.5 percent).

Carroll (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) currently leads the WAC in scoring at 21.8 points per game.

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