Matt Carlino is a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma

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.