Chris Carrawell

The subject of my first "Where are they now" feature is former Cardinal Ritter College Prep All-American Chris Carrawell. He was one of my favorite high school players of all time. I caught up with Chris over the weekend in Durham, N.C., where he is an assistant coach at Duke University.

 Chris Carrawell was one of the top prep players in the nation during his stellar career at Cardinal Ritter College Prep.

 A four-year starter, Carrawell led the Lions to consecutive Class 2A state championships in 1995 and ’96.

 Carrawell went on to Duke University, where he was a four-year starter from 1997-2000. As a freshman, he was the Blue Devils’ starting center at 6-feet-6 inches. His national coming out party came during a big road win at Wake Forest when Carrawell battled Wake Forest All-American Tim Duncan to a standstill.

 Carrawell enjoyed a brilliant career at Duke. He was a starter on four consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championship teams, including the 1999 team that advanced to the NCAA national championship game. He finished his career with 1,455 points.

 As a senior, Carrawell was voted as the ACC Player of the Year. He was also a First Team All-American.

 Carrawell was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft. He spent several years playing professionally overseas before returning to Durham, where he resides with his wife and two children.

 Chris is currently on coach Mike Krzykewski's staff at Duke as the video coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach. Chris also spent three years as the program’s Community Outreach Coordinator.

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 Chris Carrawell: In his own words

*On his career at Cardinal Ritter: "It was one of my dreams to go to Cardinal Ritter. When I was in junior high school, I idolized (former Ritter Parade All-American) Julian Winfield. We had a chance to win two state championships and take our school to a national level. It was at a time when St. Louis high school hoops was really going strong. The school really helped me become a better student and a better person. I learned a lot under the guidance of my coach Preston Thomas and my mentor Bill Vollmer. I wouldn’t have been able to make it at a school like Duke had I not gone to Cardinal Ritter.

*On the Duke experience: "It was the best four years of my life. It was a blessing for me to attend such a great university and play for such a great program. I got a chance to play on the national state every night against great players such as Tim Duncan, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. You really don’t realize how special that is at the time because you’re in the moment. However, when you look back and see that many of these guys are still stars in the NBA, that’s when you realize that it was a real special time.

*On the Cameron Crazies, Duke’s famous student section: "They are the best fans in the country. The students are incredible at the games. It’s all about the Blue Devils with these guys. They are the ones who make Cameron Indoor Stadium what it is."

*On playing for Coach Mike Krzykewski: "He is one of the greatest coaches in all of sports, but he is even a better man. It was a blessing to play for him for four years and an even bigger blessing to have a close relationship with him after my playing days."

*On being the ACC Player of the Year: "It was a big honor because a kid from St. Louis is not supposed to be the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. It was an honor be win that award during my senior year. It was also a blessing to win four ACC championships in a row and play in the NCAA championship game. I will always cherish those memories.

*On settling down in North Carolina: "I love St. Louis and I will always have a lot of great memories of St. Louis, but my life is here in North Carolina and I love it. Once I came down here to Durham, I fell in love with the place. I learned that when you are part of the Duke family, you are part of it for life.