The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program has added walk-on Luke Carroll (Westfield, Ind. / Hamilton Heights [Lake Land]) to head coach Roger Powell Jr.’s squad for the 2023-2024 academic and athletic year.

Carroll joins the program as a junior college transfer from Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill., where he played in the first 12 games of the 2022-23 season for the Lakers before suffering a season-ending torn ACL.

“The culture, purpose, belief and everything they are building this program around was something I wanted to be a part of,” Carroll said. “I started playing basketball at a young age, when I was around 4 or 5. I was born with a basketball in my hand, but I really started falling in love with the game when I was in ninth or 10^th grade. From then on, I was interested in playing college basketball.”

Carroll’s father was a men’s basketball graduate assistant at the University of Illinois and coached briefly at Southern Illinois University during his younger years. That led to the family’s continued interest in Illini basketball and eventually a connection to Powell, who was part of the Illinois team that reached the national title game in 2005.

As a senior in high school, Carroll averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. He earned Hamilton County First Team and first team all-conference honors.

Away from the court, he is pursuing a degree in business and enjoys golfing and fishing in his spare time.

“I want to win,” Carroll said. “I want to play my part. I’m always going to work hard and want to be one of the first guys in the gym, pushing and leading. I’m excited about the chemistry and how close we are with each other. When I got here, everyone welcomed me with open arms. It feels like home; it’s a family with everyone at Valpo.”