Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Matt Carroll and Chris Thomas Earn BIG EAST Weekly Awards

Feb. 11, 2002

Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame junior guard Matt Carroll (Horsham, Pa.) and freshman point guard Chris Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind.) have been honored as the BIG EAST Conference Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, after leading the Irish to two victories last week. Carroll, a first-time recipient of the league’s weekly honor, is the co-recipient of the player-of-the-week award along with Michael Sweetney of Georgetown, while Thomas earns the conference’s rookie-of-the-week honor for the fifth time this season. This is the first time that two Irish players have earned the league two honors in the same week.

Carroll averaged 22.0 points and 5.5 rebounds as he led Notre Dame to a win at home against Rutgers (89-72) and a quadruple overtime victory over Georgetown (116-111) in the longest game in BIG EAST history. Against the Scarlet Knights, he finished with 14 points and three assists as he shot six-of-10 from the field and two-of-four from the free throw line. Carroll netted a career-high 30 points, scoring Notre Dame’s final seven points in the fourth overtime period against the Hoyas. He also finished with 10 rebounds while playing all but five minutes of the contest to register his second career double double. Carroll shot nine-of-18 from the field in the game and was five-of-nine from three-point range and seven-of-nine from the free throw line. In the two games combined, he shot 53.6 percent from the field (15-28) and 53.8 percent from three-point range (7-13).

Thomas has earned rookie-of-the week honors more than any other player this season, this is the second consecutive week he has garnered the award. Thomas posted a pair of double doubles in the two contests and averaged 27.0 points, 11.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals. In playing 38 minutes against Rutgers, he scored a career-high 32 points and dished off 11 assists while hitting 10-of-14 from the field and seven-of-nine from three-point range. He played all 60 minutes in the Georgetown game and finished with 22 points, 12 assists, a personal best eight rebounds and made three steals.

Notre Dame currently owns the BIG EAST’s longest win streak as the Irish have won five straight and are 17-6 overall and 7-2 in conference play.