From Deseret News archives:
Utah State basketball: Shooters gunning for Carroll
Carroll led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage this season at 49.8 percent, and he will be ready for all challengers.
"I know if I was going up against the No. 1 3-pointer shooter in the country, I would want to show that I was as good as him or that I was better than him," he said.
Carroll is expecting the best effort from seven other competitors: Jamar Butler (Ohio State), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), A.J. Graves (Butler), Chris Lofton (Tennessee), Derrick Low (Washington State), Drew Neitzel (Michigan State) and Brian Roberts (Dayton).
Shan Foster is the only other competitor in the contest ranked in the Top 10 in the nation in 3-point percentage, and he is eighth.
"I have looked at the names and I have seen some of them play, and I'm pretty certain they have seen me play," Carroll said. "I know who they are, and they are extremely talented. I think this year has one of the best groups of 3-point shooters in the contest since I have been watching it the four or five years."
The contest will be televised live on ESPN, beginning at 7 p.m.
Along with the talented field, Carroll, perhaps, will compete in front of the biggest crowd ever in his career, and perhaps on no bigger stage than the Final Four festivities, but he said he is well-seasoned and shouldn't be affected.
"I think it will be tougher for some guys, but I'm pretty good at focusing. I've had four years of college basketball experience in one of the best arenas in the country in the (Smith) Spectrum, and I've constantly had to block out noise and people and fans."
Carroll, who, along with his wife Baylee, left Wednesday morning for San Antonio, will also participate in the 2008 DiGiorno NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) College All-Star game on Friday, also in San Antonio.
The game will be televised live on CSTV at 4 p.m.
"That's a real honor and I'm really excited, and I think it's nothing but a good thing," he said. "To be around those caliber of players and to be able to be a part of it says a lot. It's a culmination of a fun four-year career here at Utah State."
Carroll will be a member of the American All-Stars, which will be coached by former South Carolina head coach Dave Odom. Other members of the American Team include Jamar Butler (Ohio State), Mike Green (Butler), Sundiata Gaines (Georgia), Robert McKiver (Houston), Alex Harris (UC Santa Barbara), Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State), Brian Randle (Illinois), James Gist (Maryland), Robbie Cowgill (Washington State), Brian Butch (Wisconsin) and David Padgett (Louisville).
E-mail: jhinton@desnews.com
