This is especially true for one of the team’s newest members, Matt Carroll. With the Bobcats shorthanded due to a number of injuries, Carroll was signed as a free agent from the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) to help shore up Charlotte’s rotation. Now given a chance to play in the league, he is looking to make the most of the opportunity.

“I’m thrilled to be here in Charlotte,” Carroll remarked after joining the team. “I’m really excited to come here and work with these guys and hopefully help them win some games. I’m going to do everything on my part to make this the right fit for me and make this a special place.”

A self-described gym rat, Carroll’s journey to the NBA began as a youth growing up in Pittsburgh, PA. With his family heavily involved in sports, he quickly developed a passion for the game.

“My grandfather coached high school basketball in Pittsburgh for 51 years,” he explained. “He’s the winningest coach in Pennsylvania history. My dad played football at Penn State. My brother, Pat, is currently the shooting guard at St. Joseph’s. Sports are in our bloodline. That’s how I got started in it.”

After finishing an outstanding four-year career at the University of Notre Dame, Carroll was signed as a free agent by the Portland Trail Blazers in November, 2003. He saw action in 13 games before being released. After a brief stint with the NBDL’s Roanoke Dazzle, he was signed for the remainder of the 2003-04 season by the San Antonio Spurs.

As the 2004-05 season got underway, Carroll found himself in training camp with the Golden State Warriors. Released just prior to the regular season, the 6-6 guard decided to return to NBDL’s Roanoke Dazzle, where he teamed up with Bobcats teammate Cory Alexander to lead the team to a first-place record.

“The NBDL was great for me,” said Carroll who led the league in scoring, averaging 20.1 points per game while shooting .503 from the field and .605 from three-point range. “It was a tough decision for me because guys in my situation have a lot of opportunities to go overseas and make some good money. My goal, though, was to play in the NBA. I believe this is where I belong and where I want to play. The way to get here is to go to the NBDL.”

The decision paid off for Carroll, who was added to the Bobcats roster on February 23.

“We like Matt’s innate competitiveness,” said Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff. “The guy can score and really shoot the basketball. It kind of fits what we do offensively. We’re looking toward the future.”

Carroll understands what is expected of him and plans to make the most of his opportunity.

“I think my best skills are shooting the ball and helping stretch the defense to give the big guys room to work," said Carroll. "I’m just here to work as hard as I can and then when my opportunity to play comes I’ll be ready.”

The opportunity to play arrived for Carroll this past weekend.

With starting wing players Kareem Rush and Gerald Wallace both on the injured list, Carroll played a career-high 24 minutes at Philadelphia on Friday, scoring seven points and grabbing a career-high seven rebounds.

On Saturday, Carroll thrilled the Charlotte Coliseum crowd and quickly became a fan favorite by scoring a career-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting in eight minutes off the bench against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It felt good," said Carroll after Saturday's game. "My teammates set some great screens for me and Brevin (Knight) is a heck of a passer. He found me at the right time and put the ball right where I needed it. Tonight (the shots) were falling."