American: Carr Has Become Both a Shooter and a Target

Garrison Carr wasn't going to catch anyone by surprise this season. Not after averaging more than four three-pointers and 18 points per game as a junior last season, after scoring 30 points in a pair of league road games and scorching Tennessee for six three-pointers and 26 points in American University's first NCAA tournament appearance.

No, this winter promised to be different, and not in a good way for the 5-foot-11 guard who hardly played his first two seasons before rocketing onto the scene a year ago.

He confronted double-teaming and taller defenders. He endured bumping and holding. He would come off a screen, only to find an opponent waiting for him on the other side. The days of carefree, open jump shots in the Patriot League were over.

"Everyone knew who Garrison was," teammate Nick Hendra said. "He had a big target on the back of his head."

Undoubtedly, Carr will be the focal point of Villanova's defensive strategy tonight at 7:20, when the 14th-seeded Eagles (24-7) face the third-seeded Wildcats (26-7) in an East Region first-round game at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

If Carr's performances against teams from upper-level conferences this season are any indication, he could be in store for a difficult evening: He made 4 of 15 shots against Oklahoma, 2 of 17 against Georgetown, 1 of 14 against George Washington and 5 of 11 against Maryland. His three-point accuracy in those games was 3 for 32.

Since that difficult stretch early in the season, the Eagles have primarily faced Ivy League and Patriot League opponents and have won 13 straight games -- the second-longest streak in the country behind Memphis's 25 in a row -- and 19 of 20. In that time, Carr has tried to adapt to aggressive defensive tactics and discover new avenues to score.

"I definitely realized that the attention was focused on me," he said. "Last year, it didn't happen until late in the season and by then it was too late. I was already in such a groove. [This year] I just took it in stride. There's nothing I can really do except find ways to get around it and help the team in other ways."

With the increased attention, Carr's statistics are down almost across the board. His shooting percentage has slipped from 42.4 to 40, his three-point mark from 45.2 to 38.7 percent and his scoring average from 18.4 to 17.8 points per game. Even his free throw shooting has dipped, from 89.2 percent to 77.9 percent. Nonetheless, Carr remains the most dangerous player in American's all-senior starting lineup and carries the threat of a huge performance into every game.

He has made six three-pointers three times in the past six outings, including a 6-of-8 display and 24 points in last Friday's 73-57 victory over Holy Cross in the Patriot League championship game at Bender Arena. That performance earned him the tournament most valuable player award for the second straight year, a feat accomplished in the conference just once previously.

"As [last] season went on, people were aware of him, but it didn't compare to what he faced defensively his senior year," Eagles Coach Jeff Jones said. "Maybe there have been some times this year when he has gotten a little frustrated because, when you are the target, the referees aren't going to call all the fouls. You've got to work through, and fight through, the added attention."

Along the way to becoming American's career three-point leader and 13th-highest scorer, Carr has confronted a series of challenges. He played in most every game as a freshman and sophomore, but defensive shortcomings prevented him from starting and limited him to about 10 minutes per game.