A very informative Jaycee Carroll update

From USU Athletic Media Relations

Jun 13, 2011

LOGAN, Utah – Three years removed from his glory days in Logan, the leading scoring in the history of Utah State basketball is living a new set of glory days overseas, both on and off the court, by continuing the stellar play and leadership that Aggie fans saw from 2005 to 2008. The past two seasons for Jaycee Carroll, now playing professionally in Spain, have seen much of the same basketball savvy and dynamite scoring ability that Carroll displayed during his Utah State career.

Fresh off returning to Cache Valley after a season in which he averaged 19.1 points per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from behind the three-point line, all while leading his team to a 21-13 record, Carroll took some time to give an update on his basketball career, his family and his future.

What have the last two seasons been like playing basketball overseas?

“The last two seasons I’ve been in Gran Canaria, Spain, playing in a league called the ACB (Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto). I started two years there as the shooting guard on a team that it is considered a successful season if we make the playoffs and this year we finished fifth out of 18 teams. The year before we finished eighth out of 18 teams, so overall a very successful season. I personally had two good years. I led the ACB Spanish league in scoring the last two years with Gran Canaria and that’s only been done two other times in the history of the league.”

What were some of the awards you received this past season? 

“Toward the end of the season they do weekly awards and I think I won four or five of those and then for the month of April I was the MVP of the month, but then for the entire season I was voted as the best shooting guard in the league.”

What’s your celebrity status overseas compared to celebrity status you had at Utah State? 

“It’s funny, here at USU you become famous or a celebrity in Logan and in Cache Valley basically. Outside that, I rarely got really recognized unless I was around basketball people. In Spain though, it’s a professional league. It’s their NBA, so as we go around to different cities and all across Spain, basketball people know who you are and they find you on Facebook, they write you messages, they take photos, they want autographs, there’s basketball cards and it’s a really well-organized and very good league.”

What is the structure of the season in the league where you play? 

“Basically it’s how the NBA works. The only difference is we only play one game a week and we play every team twice, home and away. It’s a 34-game season that spans over nine months which gets really long sometimes with one game a week. What helps it though is after you play every team once, the season breaks and they have what is called the King’s Cup and the top eight teams in the standings at that time are invited to go to a big tournament. An eight-team, single elimination tournament and it’s huge. It’s one of the biggest things across Europe for basketball and my team made it, we went and played in the whole thing. And then we play the second half of the season and the teams that are in the top eight will go to the playoffs and playoffs are, first and second rounds, best of three, championship, best of five.”

What was it like playing with former USU teammate Spencer Nelson on Gran Canaria?

“It was great to be able to team up with him again after basically five years of not playing together. It was really a treat to see his work ethic and his effort and just seeing how he handled living and being in Europe.”

How is the adjustment to being a family of four now with the new addition? 

“It’s been really cool. It’s been different. My little daughter Bella is now two-and-a-half and she’s big enough to go around, to hang out and just a lot of fun to have around. April 14th, Alba was born in Gran Canaria, Spain, and Alba is Spanish for ‘sunrise.’ She was born right at sunrise and we wanted to do something in Spanish since she was born in Spain to kind of just remember that. She’s been great to have around.”

Have you been keeping up with the Utah State program since graduating after leading USU to the first of now four-straight WAC titles?

“I’ve definitely been able to keep up. I go on every weekend and see how the Aggies did. Everything’s been very impressive with what they’ve done over the past three years since I left. They’ve basically broken school records for most wins in a season, had two players of the year after I was and it’s just been super impressive.”

Has the legend of Wild Bill caught your attention overseas? 

“Yes. It’s actually funny because my teammates always try to find out what Utah State is and Wild Bill is one of the first things that pops up on the internet so we all get a kick out of him and we’re impressed with the attention he’s got.”

What would you say you miss most about Utah State? 

“Watching my wife Baylee cheer. Also college life is fun. Life is fun now, but being in college and pretty much just having to worry about yourself is a whole different thing. I do miss the organization of basketball and the smart coaches we have. I miss being around coach Morrill and his coaching staff. They really make basketball a joy.”

What kind of outlook does this summer hold for you between training and holding camps? 

“Summers are nice. We come back to Logan and hang out here. Previously I’ve been in summer leagues but this is the first year I will not be doing any summer leagues, so I’ll just kind of be hanging out training on my own. I’m doing a basketball camp here at The Sports Academy and then drive to Basin, Wyo., where my brother-in-law coaches and do a two-day camp for him. More than anything, I just wanted to come back to Cache Valley and offer a very inexpensive basketball camp where I can give really personal attention to kids and help them improve. I don’t take on a lot of kids and try to keep my groups to 15 to 20 kids at a time.”

What’s your status on pursuing a career in the NBA? 

“This summer has a lot of uncertainty with the NBA with lockouts, summer leagues and all kinds of things. I’ve had a good enough season the last couple years that I’ve had a couple of really good offers from some European teams and I’m going to sign one of those contracts and pretty much forget about the NBA for a few years. It’ll be in Spain, probably in Barcelona or Madrid.”

Two more Utah State basketball links

A double tip o' the hat to Sam Wasson/Bleed Crimson for forwarding PTW these links:

Remember Jaycee Carroll and Spencer Nelson? No, don't panic, neither has been discovered to have further NCAA eligibility. Both former USU basketballers are playing together in one of the nicest areas in Europe where it is 64 degrees and partly cloudy today  Credit Rhett Wilkinson at the Utah Statesman for this fine article.

Plus, here's an Eli Lucero Herald Journal timelapse video of the crowd filling up The Spectrum when USU hosted Nevada. Is that the student section filling in the earliest?

Jaycee Carroll

PTW wishes we knew what this meant. It's a Jonathan Givony Twitter post at Draft Express:

DraftExpress: There's a very fine line between Steph Curry and Jaycee Carroll. A very fine line. Much of it has to do with situation.
2011-01-12 07:02:25

We're thinking it's connected to Jimmer Fredette's draft prospects. And/or a response to SpenceDee and his Twitter post of 20 hours ago:

Why isn't Carroll in the league? A team like Miami could use him. Hell, any team could.

A couple more tidbits

The Draft Express folks keep on giving:

"Paul George looks way more like Fresno State Paul George so far than workout wonderboy Paul George. Very raw. You can see the talent though."

and

"Undrafted free agents who look good: Jeremy Pargo, Mustafa Shakur, Patrick Ewing Jr, Jaycee Carroll, Matt Janning, Thomas Heurtel, lots more."

"He's an undersized shooting guard who is extremely limited defensively."

 in reply to:

"@CoachCarbenia Jaycee Carroll is GREAT, how'd he go undrafted????"

A Jaycee Carroll update

Jaycee Carroll is on the Boston Celtics summer league roster, per the Rediculous Upside site. Scott Schroeder writes this about Carroll:

    Jaycee Carroll, SG/PG, Utah State - Carroll is primarily a sweet-shooting guard, but with the way the Celtics Summer League roster is set up I'm sure he'll get a chance to show he can run the point as well.

    The last time I saw Carroll play live was, coincidentally, the last game of the Vegas Summer League last season (he played for the New Orleans Hornets) - and I remember the triple-overtime affair quite vividly. In that game, Carroll got the start and scored 22 points while shooting 9-of-20 from the field and adding eight boards and two steals.

    I was surprised he chose to play overseas this past season, but the stats (and the paychecks, I assume) indicate that it worked out just fine. In 50 games for Gran Canaria, Carroll averaged 17.7 points between the Eurocup and the Spanish League - with his 18.8 scoring average leading a rather competitive Spanish League.

Here's a recent article on Carroll when he was working out in Toronto. 

Here's an update from John Newbold.

Jaycee checks in, and a bit more

Jaycee Carroll has checked in with Shawn Harrison and has some interesting things to say:

Spanish greetings, looking at 2010
Jaycee Carroll
Herald Journal
January 7, 2010

Happy New Year! I hope everybody had a fun and safe holiday season.

My name is Jaycee Carroll. I am a Utah State alum — class of 2008 — and former Aggie basketball player. I have been married to Baylee (Roche) Carroll for two-and-a-half years, and they have been great.

We had our first date five years ago on Dec. 31, 2004. It was a different kind of date mostly because of the group we were with. Tai Wesley and Matt Formisano were the other couple out with us on New Year’s eve...

Go here for the remainder.

One would think Tai Wesley and Matt Formisano could hold their own in a snowball fight but...

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Jon Newbold at the Cache Valley Daily also has a ton of updates on various USU players here.

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How would you grade Coach David Carter so far? Check out this Chris Murray post.

Disposable chairs but that's not all

With a major tip o' the hat to Stuck In Seattle at the Silver and Blue message board Sports Forum, the question is did he or didn't he? He being former Jazz great Karl Malone, now the major domo behind the LA TECH basketball program.

Chairgate! Chair-troversy! A chair-raising experience!
Ethan Conley
The News Star
1/5/2010

RUSTON -- If you follow Louisiana Tech basketball, you've probably heard about "Chairgate" by now. Here's the general story, as told by people on both the Nevada and Tech sides with little variation:

Go here to find out how the mystery ends, or doesn't.

Will there be a bevy of kindergarten chairs for the Bulldogs to use when they come to Reno on March 6? Plus, just asking: what would Mark Fox's reaction have been after noticing the missing chairs?

By the way, Karl Malone also has a disposable son. Go here for those details.

*** UPDATE: Oh my, Bob Young of the Arizona Republic has the best line of all regarding KM, his floor and the disappearing chairs: "We're just surprised Malone was able to do it without assistance from John Stockton."

Touché.

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Per Chris Murray, Olek Czyz is down to Nevada and Arizona State. There is a far less chance of being 'recruited over' at Nevada than a PAC-10 program but who knows what are the factors that will be in play with this decision.

Here is a Q-and-A Chris Murray did with Coach David Carter.

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Tony Jones has a pair of updates on Jaycee Carroll here and here.

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Jaycee Carroll rising

Anyone who is a basketball fan, regardless of college allegiance and the uber-bias of fan-dom, should be pulling for Jaycee Carroll to land a spot in the NBA.

(Jaycee Carroll photo, left, courtesy of EFE)

What better story is there than a kid from the basketball mecca state of Wyoming, so highly recruited that he might have been forced to go the junior college route if Utah State hadn't offered, who out-works those with greater physical gifts and is seemingly becoming an individualized version of "Hoosiers"? (please hold back weighing in on the JC to a JC angle)

With a major tip of the ol' sombrero to Sam Wasson/BleedCrimson.net, we offer this latest nugget on Carroll, courtesy of Jonathan Givony, Draft Express (a daily must-read site):

"...We talked about Carroll in quite a bit of depth just last week, so there is no need to repeat ourselves. The main point there was that Carroll has risen up the European basketball ladder about as swiftly as an American player can, currently averaging over 18 point per game in the ACB in just his second year of playing professional basketball. So despite his obvious limitations (size, athleticism, perimeter defense, point guard skills) it is safe to wonder where the ascension of this outstanding shooter/scorer might end. He has another year left on his contract with Gran Canaria, but has a free NBA out clause and a very minimal European buyout..."

Additional Saturday WAC links

Matt Kamalsky @ the Draft Express site has a nice feature on Jaycee Carroll today. It's the fifth subject in the post so do some scrolling down once you go here.

Will Brandon Fields and Kelvin Lewis be matched up against each other today? Chris Murray/Reno Gazette-Journal has the scoop on the history between these two.

Jason Groves features a walk-on in his Aggie basketball article today along with an update on Tyrone Watson's playing status.

Travis Mason-Bushman is coming at you from Fargo (North Dakota State) today. Our unsolicited advice: stay away from any and all wood chippers.

A Jaycee Carroll update

Craig Hislop informs us about the 'hard life' Jaycee Carroll and family are enduring. This is a prime example of what oppotunities are available outside of the NBA for borderline or even lesser NBA talents:

Carroll gunning for NBA
Craig Hislop
Herald Journal
July 17, 2009

It was always a treat to watch Jaycee Carroll never appear too exercised during those rare moments when events didn’t go his way, such as this week in Las Vegas as he mostly rides the pine for the New Orleans Hornets at the Las Vegas pro summer league.

You wonder if Brad Ames, his agent, could have found a better fit for Jaycee’s talents. But not to worry, since this week Ames did score Jaycee a nice two-year contract in the best Spanish pro league. He will undoubtedly make more money against better competition, hopefully with more NBA people noticing, when he suits up for Gran Canaria.

One of the “outs” in his new deal kicks in if, by Aug. 5, an NBA team invites him to their veterans camp with “partial guaranteed” money. Otherwise, he’s to report overseas Aug. 25...

Go here for the remainder.

Following Jaycee Carroll

Here are two opportunities for those of you wishing to follow Jaycee Carroll's basketball playing in Italy.

The first: KVNU's Full Court Press

The second is a site operated by Carroll's wife Baylee.

Jaycee Carroll to the land of gelato

This sounds like a good setup for Jaycee Carroll to prove to NBA-types that he can play multiple roles on the court:

KNVU Full Court Press
Hurricane John

Jaycee Carroll signed yesterday with Teramo Basket. They are a team in the first division of Italy. Here is what his agent, Brad Ames, emailed me yesterday...

Go here for the remainder.

Jared Eborn/Deseret News with more on Jaycee Carroll

Jared Eborn has posted a lengthier take on Jaycee Carroll and his chances of landing an NBA roster spot:

Does Carroll really have a chance to stick with Nets?
Jared Eborn
DeseretNews.com blogger
uly 9, 2008

After one summer league game, Jaycee Carroll looked like the rookie free-agent signing of the year. Playing against lottery picks, veterans and other players hungry to impress a team, the former Utah State star looked everything like a future NBA player.

But exactly how telling -- or misleading, perhaps -- were the 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists?

Sure, those numbers led the New Jersey Nets in all three categories, but would that kind of production last? Would Carroll continue to post impressive numbers in subsequent games and give eager Aggie fans something to thump their collective chest about?

The answer is no -- and yes.

Carroll scored just five points on 1-of-6 shooting in his second outing with the Nets.

Game 3, however, was more like what USU fans have been so used to seeing. The guard from Evanston, Wyoming was asked to come off the bench against Oklahoma and responded with an impressive 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting while tossing out three assists and grabbing a pair of rebounds...

Go here for the remainder.

A Jaycee Carroll upate

It appears the Deseret News has a new blogger -- Jared Eborn -- covering Utah State. We're not sure what happened to Jay Hinton -- maybe he has been reassigned or moved on to newer pastures. Eborn's initial entry provides an update on Jaycee Carroll:

Carroll makes his point
Jared Eborn
DeseretNews.com blogger
July 7, 2008

Jaycee Carroll, if one game is any indication, is going to make some NBA general managers kick themselves for not drafting him.

The all-time leading scorer in Utah State history had some poor showings at a pre-draft camp and slipped off the draft boards for pretty much every team in the league. The New Jersey Nets, however, thought enough of him to invite him to their training camp and gave him a spot on their summer league roster.

Against Orlando Monday night, Carroll showed he can still score points in bunches as he led the Nets with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting. And, as Aggie fans will surely remember, he showed he's capable of much more than just putting the ball in the hoop.

The 6-foot-2 shooting guard led the Nets in rebounding with seven and in assists with five......

Go here for the remainder.

What's next for undrafted Jaycee Carroll

Jaycee Carroll didn't get drafted but that's neither here nor there. After the initial round, it's usually best not to get tied to one team. Now he can try and get in the best situation for himself and his skills set:

Next plan for Utah State's Carroll is to make an NBA team
Michael Black
Deseret News
June 27, 2008

His name may not have been called as one of the 60 picks for the 2008 NBA Draft, but that doesn't mean that the dream to play professional basketball has ended for Utah State's Jaycee Carroll.

"I am disappointed for sure, but nonetheless we are on to the next plan, and that is to get on a good summer-league team," said Carroll. "We have heard from quite a few teams that are interested. Now, I just have to trust in the scouts and general managers that are saying what they like and what they need. I have to trust my agent and just find the best fit where I can go there and showcase my talents and abilities."

Go here for the remainder.

A Jaycee Carroll update

Maybe others don't share the interest but we are closely following Jaycee Carroll and the NBA draft. He's one of those guys we find ourselves saying 'there has to be a spot for him somewhere' and we'll find out next week.

Utah Jazz: Carroll now a passin' assassin
Linda Hamilton
Deseret News
June 22, 2008

Utah State University's Jaycee Carroll has spent the past couple of months in Chicago trying to build point-guard skills so he could market himself for the last couple of weeks at NBA team pre-draft workouts as a combo guard.

"Most teams have been OK with that. They think that I can be that kind of a player, so it's been positive," said Carroll on Saturday after finishing a workout with the Jazz, the ninth of his 11 planned auditions in anticipation of Thursday's NBA Draft. He's off to Toronto and Milwaukee and has already been to Chicago, Detroit, Portland, Sacramento, the Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey, Charlotte and New Orleans.

But as much as the 6-foot-2 Carroll has tried to broaden his game by working six days a week with his agent's clients and staff in Chicago, as much as he likes to think of himself as more athletic than people give him credit for being, maybe a better defender than people think and someone who can bring the ball upcourt and read what's going on, he's still got that deadeye reputation.

"Most teams have really talked to me as kind of an assassin," said Carroll, the Aggies' career scoring leader with 2,522 points and No. 4 in the NCAA at career 3-point shooting percentage (.465).

"Coming in and spreading the floor and knocking down wide-open 3-point shots, kind of Steve Kerr, I've heard comparisons," he said with reference to the former Chicago Bulls/San Antonio Spurs 6-foot-1 sniper and current Phoenix Suns GM.

"I've had team representatives say that I come to the gym, and I have an ace to play (his shooting), whereas other guys come in with just a jack or a queen to showcase......"

Go here for the remainder.

Here's a Jay Hinton update on Jaycee Carroll

Here's Jay Hinton checking in with a Jaycee Carroll update:

Jaycee Carroll update
USU Aggies Blog
Jay Hinton
Deseret News
June 5, 2008

For the next week or two, in preparation for the June 26 NBA Draft, former Utah State guard Jaycee Carroll will be moving about the country.

Wednesday, Carroll worked out for the Chicago Bulls and hit 15-of-20 three-pointers in a three-point shooting contest with the other five point guards in attendance.

He also won the shuttle run, 20-yard dash, and finished second in the vertical jump......

Go here for the remainder.

A little bit on USU's backcourt in 2008-2009

Utah State is looking to fill both guard spots in the coming season. Here's a brief rundown by Jay Hinton on that task and the players involved:

USU Aggies Blog
Aggies have questions at the guard line
Jay Hinton
DeseretNews.com blogger
May 22, 2008

Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill learned early in his coaching career that it's good to have options.

"I would rather have too many guys that can play than not enough," he said. "It sometimes can clutter it up a bit, but it also gives you a chance to look at a whole lot of possibilities"

Such is the case with the point guard position.

Kris Clark, the Aggies' all-time single-season assists leader, is gone, and with Desmond Stephens returning as well as redshirt Jaxon Myaer, and newcomer Dermey Geiger, Morrill will have possibilities when it comes to who will run the team...

Go here for the remainder.

Kudos to Matt Bauscher

He gets the least amount of ink and praise as one of Coach Greg Graham's starers but boy did he come through big time yesterday:

Bauscher drops 23 on USU
Wade Denniston
Logan Herald Journal
March 15, 2008

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Matt Bauscher gave props to Utah State star Jaycee Carroll.

“Jaycee Carroll’s the best shooter in the nation. Period,” the Boise State guard said. “There’s not a better shooter in the nation than Jaycee Carroll.”

That may be the case, but Bauscher can also shoot the ball pretty good. The Aggies found that out the hard way.

Bauscher scored 23 points as the Broncos beat top-seeded USU 88-78 in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday night at the Pan American Center.

Boise State plays New Mexico State in the championship game tonight at 7 o’clock. The game can be seen live on ESPN2.

Bauscher shot 8-for-10 from the field, including a stellar 5-for-6 mark from 3-point range.

“Our big guys were getting double-teamed and (Matt Nelson) made a couple great passes,” Bauscher said. “It seems like once you hit one, the hoop gets a little bigger. Once you hit two, it kind of gets a little bigger after that.”

Reggie Larry also scored 23 for the Broncos, while Carroll led the way for the Aggies with 20.

Bauscher nailed three of his tri-fectas in the first half to help his team overcome a seven-point deficit and open a 42-37 lead at the break.

Bauscher hit a pair of 3s during a game-changing 16-4 run to end the opening half...

Go here for the remainder.

The All-WAC teams are announced

Unfortunately, no All--Freshman team was selected -- that would have been very interesting and probably would have created many arguments.

These selections are per the league coaches:

2007-08 WAC Men's Basketball Postseason Award Winners

First Team

Reggie Larry, Boise State, F, 6-6, 222, Sr.
Kevin Bell, Fresno State, G, 5-10, 165, Sr.
Marcelus Kemp, Nevada, G, 6-5, 210, Sr.
Justin Hawkins, New Mexico State, F, 6-7, 205 Sr.
Jaycee Carroll, Utah State, G, 6-2, 175, Sr.

(OUR EDITORIAL: No argument here, these are the top five WAC players and producers game-in and game-out)

Second Team

Matt Nelson, Boise State, F, 6-9, 233, Sr.
Matt Gibson, Hawai`i, G, 6-5, 180, Sr.
Jordan Brooks, Idaho, F, 6-3, 195, Jr.
JaVale McGee, Nevada, F, 6-11, 235, So.
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State, F, 6-9, 240, Jr.

(OUR EDITORIAL: Even this second quintet is hard to rebut. The selection of Matt Gibson is probably the only one to challenge -- at least to a degree -- but he did have a marvelous season. LT's Kyle Gibson and Boise's Tyler Tiedeman would be his closest competitors)

Player of the Year: Jaycee Carroll, Utah State

(OUR EDITORIAL) No argument here. He produced every game and opposing coaches had to devise defensive plans around him)

Freshman of the Year: Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Reno, Nev. (Hug HS)

(OUR EDITORIAL) His stats and production are unbeatable. 61 assists to 31 turnovers as Nevada's nominal point AND as a freshman is tremendous. Add 11.4 ppg. and 4.1 rpg. and he simply had the best season of any of the frosh)

Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Greg Graham, Boise State

(OUR EDITORIAL: If this competition was between Stew Morrill, Mark Fox, Marvin Menzies and Graham, then it's clearcut in our minds that Graham was the correct choice -- he got the most out of his set of players)

All-Newcomer Team

Jordan Brooks, Idaho, F, 6-3, 195, Jr.
Armon Johnson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Fr.
Herb Pope, New Mexico State, F, 6-8, 235, Fr.
C.J. Webster, San Jose State, C, 6-8, 255, So.
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State, F, 6-9, 240, Jr.

(OUR EDITORIAL: Herb Pope is a major talent and will have his shot in the NBA but he averaged 23.7 minutes in 12 conference games, scoring 10.3 ppg. on .437% shooting. He also nabbed 6.5 rpg. and notched 24 assists. But as weird as it sounds, Wendell McKines may deserve a spot on this team, even in place of Pope. McKines scoring and rebounding were less -- 5.9 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. respectively but he outshot Pope from the floor, .611% to .422%. Pope played 23.7 mpg. to 16.6 for McKines. At the very least, it's an interesting argument but realistically it looks like the coaches were correct. But do keep in mind that SJSU's Justin Graham averaged 10.9 ppg. while shooting .519% from the floor but missed some games due to injury)

All-Defensive Team

Matt Bauscher, Boise State, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Caldwell, Idaho (Spokane CC)
Matt Gibson, Hawai`i, G, 6-5, 180, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla. (Three Rivers CC)
Lyndale Burelson, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Jr., Seattle, Wash. (Franklin HS)
JaVale McGee, Nevada, F, 6-11, 235, So., Flint, Mich. (Hales Franciscan HS)
Fred Peete, New Mexico State, G, 6-4, 200, Sr., Memphis, Tenn. (Kansas State)


(No argument here but it's interesting that no forwards made the team)