Maeve Carroll has gotten used to finding 15 points hidden somewhere over the course of a game. Georgetown Visitation Coach Mike McCarthy pulls her over to the side in practice to tell her as much. If the Cubs are going to rack up big wins, win an 11th Independent School League AA division title in a row, they’ll need that offensive output from Carroll, a four-year starter and the team’s undisputed heartbeat.
She’s started realizing that herself after Visitation had its conference win streak snapped at 55 games against Holy Child last month. Carroll had 13 points. She didn’t immediately look for her shot, she said. After the game, the clock in her head winding down her senior year sped up. A game prior, she’d passed 1,000 career points.
Time to turn it on, McCarthy told her.
Carroll arrived at Visitation as a scrappy power forward, but not so much a scorer. She was a rebounder and passer who found a few layups a game on offensive rebounds and on the fast break. But after a pair of injuries last season, McCarthy started putting her in positions to score. Her father talked to her after games to remind her to shoot the ball.
Taking more shots isn’t selfish, he said. Your team needs you.
“This year, I know that to win, I need to do that,” she said.
Carroll has worked on her jump shot to go along with her inside game. First it was 15-footers, but her range has steadily increased to where she’s comfortable from three-point range.
College coaches want to see more of that side of her game. She’s received lots of interest from Division II and Division III teams while waiting for Division I offers from Ivy and Patriot league schools to come. Coaches tell her that at 5-foot-10, she projects as a small forward in the college game, but a small forward who will still rebound and play in the post.
Those are confusing directives, Carroll said.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life, playing against girls bigger than me my whole life and beating them,” she said.
Don’t worry about her height, McCarthy tells college scouts. No matter who she goes up against, she makes plays.
“There’s so many little things she does that are so valuable,” he said. “She’s a winner.”
FOR YOUR CALENDAR: Feb. 11
The District of Columbia State Athletic Association is hosting the DC National Girls and Women in Sports Day Expo on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Deanwood Recreation Center, 1350 49th Street NE.
The Expo begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Admission is free and no registration is necessary. Girls, young women and their parents and/or guardians are invited to attend the Expo, which will showcase local vendors, organizations and programs dedicated to sports and activity opportunities for girls and young women.
NUMBER CRUNCH: 24.8
Points per game for Maret forward Luka Garza. He leads players from teams ranked in The Post’s boys’ basketball Top 20 in scoring.
BREAKFAST LINKS:
- Regional powers Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech — and Penn State — earn big hauls on National Signing Day
- Recapping a whirlwind National Signing Day in the D.C. area
- Wrestling notebook: Aryemis Brown breaks Bullis record; Cameron Hoppman guides Rockville’s rise
- Swimming notebook: Holton-Arms gets redemption at ISL championships
- Ice hockey notebook: DeMatha’s Teddy Whitehead honors deployed father; Eleanor Roosevelt snaps losing skid
- A look ahead at Ricky Slade, Anthony Lytton Jr. and the top Class of 2018 recruits
- Patuxent promotes offensive line coach Nick Allen to fill football coaching vacancy
- Westfield’s two-ring senior class hopes to carry winning ways to college programs
- Kentucky blue dominates the scene at Good Counsel’s signing day ceremony
PHOTOS FROM NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
Signing day ceremonies from D.C., Maryland and Virginia
+14
The area’s top Class of 2017 recruits sign their National Letters-of-Intent.
MUST-SEE VIDEO
Check out our top plays from Week 8 of basketball season:
From our friends at Fox 5, see the emotional scene from signing day at National Collegiate in the District:
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Follow me (Twitter: @jacobbogage) for updates from tonight’s big boys’ basketball game between No. 2 Rock Creek Christian and No. 10 Riverdale Baptist.
In the District, follow Nick Eilerson (@NickEilerson) for sights and sounds from when No. 11 Wilson hosts rival H.D. Woodson with the top spot in the DCIAA regular-season title race on the line.
In Loudoun County, the Tuscarora boys host Briar Woods. Dillon Mullan (@DillonMullan) has coverage.
In Howard County girls’ action, Atholton faces Marriott Ridge. Dan Roth (@ByDanRoth) will be there.
And in Virginia Conference 7 girls’ action, Eric Goldwein (@EricGoldweinWP) is at T.C. Williams and West Springfield.
FOLLOW FRIDAY:
Follow our new best friend Jesse Doughtery, who is joining AllMetSports on Monday from the Los Angeles Times. We’re incredibly excited to have him aboard. You can find him on Twitter: @dougherty_jesse.
