Carr is the little engine that could

Editor's note: Seth Kolloen is executive editor of Sports Northwest Magazine. His work appears occasionally in the Seattle P-I.

The first thing you're going to do when you fill out your NCAA Tournament brackets is pick all of the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to beat all of the 15 and 16 seeds. It's the only smart thing to do. I do it every year. Except this one.

My mission this morning is to make you pause -- if only for a second -- when you choose between No. 15 American University and No. 2 Tennessee.

And I think you will pause. Because if anyone can pull off this upset, it's American University's best player, Garrison Carr -- who's already pulled off a surprise that was even more shocking.

As a senior at Issaquah High School, Carr led the Eagles to a win over a Seattle Prep team with two future NBA lottery picks, Spencer Hawes and Martell Webster. The win, in a loser-out district game at Ingraham, kept Prep out of the state tournament that year. Carr had 31 points, including the two clinching free throws with four seconds left in overtime.

I was there, and it was the most exhilarating sporting event I've ever attended. (Yes, it's true, the most exciting moment I have as a fan took place in the Ingraham gym. Pity me.)

"We weren't all that talented," remembers Jeff Patrick, Issaquah's head coach then and still. "But Garrison's standards are so high. He's always felt that if he played well, his team would win."

Think of it: Carr, surrounded by unexceptional high school teammates, beat a team with two guys who were good enough to play in the NBA. And not in a regular-season throwaway -- in a one-and-done game with everything on the line, just like the Tennessee game will be. Against Tennessee -- which, while deep, has no one as talented as either Webster or Hawes -- Carr shouldn't be nervous, and he'll at least have the benefit of playing with a better supporting cast.

And there's this: Every team that Carr has been on has dramatically exceeded expectations.

"He took Issaquah basketball further than it had ever been," Patrick said.

That didn't mean much to college coaches. Despite getting Issaquah to two state tournaments, despite the win over Webster and Hawes, Carr got few scholarship offers. Carr's tangibles aren't good. He's listed at 5 feet 11, but that's by using the same tape measure that puts Nate Robinson at 5-9. He isn't particularly fast. San Diego State coach Steve Fisher recruited Carr but said he couldn't make an offer until he understood how Carr could be so effective.

Coach Patrick said he told Fisher: "I can't explain it either, but I'm telling you, I've seen him put 25 points in a half on Terrence Williams (the 6-6 Rainier Beach guard who's now with Louisville). He'll be able to score at the college level."

Fisher, who knows talent -- he assembled Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and the rest of the Fab Five at Michigan -- never did offer Carr a spot.

"I think it was a psychological thing," Patrick said. "We'd meet and he'd look over at Garrison, 5-9, wearing glasses. He just couldn't pull the trigger."

Fisher underestimated Carr's talent, so Carr traveled 3,000 miles to American University in Washington, D.C., for a scholarship -- just to get underestimated again. In Carr's first two years, American barely played him.

That changed this year, and so have American's fortunes.

"They've never gone anywhere, then they start playing Garrison and suddenly they're going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time," Patrick said. "That's the kind of kid he is."

Carr and his old coach still keep in contact. Patrick's been text-messaging him after every game -- it's become a superstition now, so Patrick doesn't think he'll talk to Carr before Friday's game. He doesn't want to mess with the mojo. Still, Patrick took the time to call me at 10 on a Saturday morning to talk about his former player.

How does the small, slow guy do it?

"He has the most beautiful shot you've ever seen," Patrick said.

The stats prove Patrick's point. Through Thursday, Carr ranked 10th in Division I in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.4. He averages 4.1 3-pointers per game, which is sixth-best in the country.

Carr got plenty of open looks on a Patriot League schedule that included healthy doses of Bucknell and Lehigh. Getting them against Tennessee will be a tougher challenge. But if he dropped 25 in a half on Williams, who made second-team All-Big East this year, he should be able to score against anyone in college basketball.

What's even more encouraging is that American plays the way an upset team should. The Eagles employ a slow-down style that, if they hit their shots, will shorten the game and keep Tennessee from getting the easy transition buckets they thrive on. If American were a running team, the Vols would beat the Eagles at their own game. But since American is comfortable in the slow-paced offense, the Eagles may have a chance.

I certainly hope so -- I've inked them in on my bracket. After hearing Patrick gush about Carr, there's no way I can root against him.

"I'm glad you're giving him some love," Patrick said. "He deserves it."

LOCAL FLAVOR

In addition to Garrison Carr, these Seattle-area high school products could play starring roles in the NCAA Tournament:

Steven Gray, Gonzaga: The freshman guard from Bainbridge will need to score consistently for the Bulldogs to advance.

Mitch Johnson, Stanford: The Cardinal floor leader, a junior from O'Dea, is the man who sets the table for the Lopez twins, Lawrence Hill and the rest.

Matt Nelson, Boise State: The senior forward from Skyline High averages 15.6 points per game for the WAC champions.

Rodrick Stewart, Kansas: The high-flying former Rainier Beach star is a key reserve for the top-seeded Jayhawks.

Terrence Williams, Louisville: Another former Rainier Beach star, the versatile junior forward is the Cardinals' driving force.