Matthew Carlino. The man merely breathes and he sends two separate factions of BYU fandom into bitter disagreement about the quality of said breath.

Take the BYU-Pepperdine contest as an example.

Matt Carlino is the man who cast up a 15-foot jumper that was immediately preceded by a 360, NBA Jam style of take-off. /cue fans frustrated with such recklessness - Matt Carlino is also the man who buried both the go-ahead free throws and the subsequent dagger three pointer to finish off a feisty Waves squad. /cue fans exhilaration

Matt Carlino's first game as a Cougar, a terrific performance against Baylor, left an indelible mark on the BYU community. This is why when Carlino shoots 8 times in ten minutes against Texas-San Antonio, making just one shot, you wonder if it is the same dude.

Joe Pesci once said: "Matt Carlino is a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma." Pesci did say that but the subject wasn't a college athlete but the details of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Carlino's play, and career for that matter, have left just as many questions.

I wrote here on VTF just a few days ago that BYU hoops was in desperate need of a number three guy. What I saw from Carlino on Thursday gives me hope. Actually, Thursday was just part of a continuing trend of good play over the past month. Carlino has scored in double-figures in nine consecutive games, including three contests in which he scored at least 20. Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies are known quantities; Matt Carlino is a 'wild man' who has the very key to BYU's NCAA Tournament hopes in his hands. Keep rollin along, Matthew.