Carrawell serves as unlikely hero, but a winner just the same

RALEIGH - It's hard to imagine exactly what Chris Carrawell was told as a high school senior. In the high school recruiting wars where hyperbole runs high and eager coaches dish out promises like Halloween candy, it's hard to imagine exactly what the St. Louis blue-chipper was told.

The next Jordan by someone, probably, surefire player of the year winner by junior season by another, a national title more than likely.

But of all the things he was promised, there's one thing nobody, especially Mike Krzyzewski would've told him he would do-win four straight ACC championships.

It doesn't happen that way, and especially not because of one player from a St. Louis blacktop.

Even after three straight last season, when the walls of the program fell down like a house of cards, everybody said it wasn't going to happen.

But there he is, Chris Carrawell-the master builder.

As he's made his unlikely ascent to ACC player of the year favorite, people have scoffed at the idea of Duke's No. 23 as the ACC's No. 1 just as much as they've scoffed at the idea of the Blue Devils' being a legitimate ACC champion.

But it's simply fitting.

There was motivation Saturday-Carrawell's shot at the unlikely four-peat was at stake, but with a four-game lead on second place, it was, for all intents and purposes, another day in the ACC office for Carrawell.

And when the game went to crunch time, the senior punched in.

It was still Duke vs. N.C. State at that point, but, if the new Entertainment and Sports Arena had wanted to be accurate, they could've simply changed the billing on the outside to Chris Carrawell vs. Anthony Grundy.

Seventeen of the game's final 19 points were scored by the two, as they dueled down the wire, frequently defending each other.

"It was a mano a mano thing," said Grundy, who single-handedly led the Wolfpack back into the game in the second half. "We both stepped it up at the end to try and win. He did. He's a great player and he did it."

With N.C. State on a 7-0 run midway through the second half, Carrawell fired the first shot, driving to the hoop and converting a pair of free throws.

After sitting out for all of 39 seconds and one N.C. State bucket, Carrawell returned to the Duke lineup, ripped down a defensive rebound and then immediately drained a three-pointer, silencing the capacity crowd of 19,623 all ready to explode for a comeback.

His next bucket a possession later put Duke up 62-48 with just 5:44 left and seemingly quelled the 'Pack's last punch.

"He worked hard on his free throws and he hits them for us now," coach Mike Krzyewski said of Carrawell, a notoriously mediocre free throw shooter his first three seasons. "I love the fact that he wants the ball.

"I didn't teach him that dribble though. If it were a wrestling move, it'd be called the mesmerizer, because you're like, 'Wha?' 'Oh..' I'm sitting on the bench going 'Chris, what was... don't... good shot!"

But there was Grundy.

As the rest of his teammates began to blend into the covered seats behind the ESA's student section, Grundy went to work. Down by a dozen with 3:23 left to play, the Louisville sophomore put the Wolfpack offense on his back.

He drove for a layup first, then assisted on a Damien Wilkins bucket. Then it was a running jumper a possession later and after two minutes and eight points of clawing his way back into the game, you might have sworn that the ESA was the House that Grundy built.

"He's got those long arms, he's like Inspector Gadget and he'll say 'go go gadget arms' and score over you," Carrawell said. "He's a great player and he was great tonight."

And all that stood between Grundy and upset was Carrawell.

He wasn't putting points on the board like Grundy was in the second half, but when Duke needed someone to keep the team from crumbling, the ball went to Carrawell.

It was like gravity. Nobody had to say anything, but everybody knew it was there. The ball belonged to Anthony Grundy on the 'Pack end and the ball belonged to Carrawell on the Duke end.

Of course, freshmen always have to be reminded.

"I said I wanted the ball," Carrawell said. "Sometimes I had to remind Jason [Williams] though, because he sometimes wants to drift off and pass to somebody else."

Grundy pushed, but Carrawell pushed back.

Twice in the game's final three minutes Carrawell ended a 6-0 Grundy streak, and when he stepped to the line and calmly sank the front end of a one-and-one with 16 seconds left, Grundy gave him a long look, realizing the mano a mano duel had just ended with a knockout punch.

"It was huge," Grundy said. "We had built up confidence when they were missing and we were coming back, but [the free throw] took us back down a bit."

Carrawell walked off the court a winner Saturday, and as the front-runner for player of the year honors, and, for the fourth time in the his career, the master builder walked off as an ACC champion.

Believe it or not.