January 21, 2008

Hornets.com caught up with Charlotte guard Matt Carroll in a recent interview to find out his thoughts on the city of New Orleans, Chris Paul and the plight of Notre Dame football:

Hornets.com: Do you remember where you were when you heard about Hurricane Katrina?
Carroll: I was in Philadelphia, actually. We were watching on the news and we just couldn’t believe what was happening.

Hornets.com: You guys had a day to spend in the city. Did you get to do anything?
Carroll: We didn’t do too much. We walked around a little bit. Everyone wants to go to Bourbon Street. I’ve been here a few times, but we went down there again. Other than that, we just got some rest.

Hornets.com: What are some of your favorite things about New Orleans?
Carroll: Just the culture down here is so unique. People have so much pride for their city. It’s a lot of fun. You always look forward to coming down here because it’s so different from any other city that we play in. The food is great down here – that’s probably my most favorite thing. You know you’re always going to get good meals on this trip. Other than that, it’s just a lot of fun.

Hornets.com: Are there any restaurants in particular that you really like?
Carroll: I can’t really remember the names because we try to go to a different one when we’re here, but the seafood is so good. The gumbo and jambalaya – I know we’ve been to a spot on Bourbon Street that we really liked a lot.

Hornets.com: What are some of your thoughts on the year Chris Paul is having?
Carroll: He’s a phenomenal point guard – definitely one of the best in the NBA, especially this season. He really doesn’t have any weaknesses. He’s shooting the ball really well this year which has been one of the biggest things that’s impressed me. He’s shooting so well from three-point range – he could always penetrate and shoot or dish to get assists, but his outside shot is really on. He’s hard to guard because he’s one of the quickest guys in the NBA. He’s so good with the basketball and you have to be very aware of the shooters on the perimeter when he penetrates because he’ll draw so much attention when he gets into the key.

Hornets.com: The Hornets are off to the best start in franchise history through the first half of the season. What do you think about their potential in the playoffs?
Carroll: They’re a very good team. They’ve got great shooters, one of the top point guards and they have very athletic big guys who rebound well and can run. I think they have a really good shot at making a run in the playoffs this year.

Hornets.com: As a Notre Dame grad, I have to rag on you a little bit, what happened to your football team this year?
Carroll: It was one of those years. I guess when we decided to have a down year, we had a really down year. I’ve taken so much heat this year. I knew it was bad this year when I had Shane Battier, who is a Duke alum, betting me that Duke would beat Notre Dame this year.