Matthews is Better Than You Think

[Tampa_cat54]

A lot of people are sort of counting out or downplaying Matthews impact on next years team.

Remember, Cal CHOSE Matthews over Kennard.

The kid is going to be VERY good.

I've seen him play in person 3-4 times and came away very impressed each time.

If it hadn't been for his injury, he'd be a top 15 prospect.

He'll be 6th or 7th man next year and get a lot of minutes.

Think DeAndre Liggins with far more offense at this point.

 

[CELTICAT]

I don't expect him the rotation, but will be more than happy if he's a contributor.

 

[coolcat9lives]

Yeah it really irks me when people only mention Skal and Briscoe when they talk about this years class. Matthews and Mulder are definitely gonna be called upon all year. Matthews can defend multiple positions so I expect to see him on the floor quite a bit.

 

[TeoJ]

A lot of people are sort of counting out or downplaying Matthews impact on next years team.

Remember, Cal CHOSE Matthews over Kennard.

The kid is going to be VERY good.

I've seen him play in person 3-4 times and came away very impressed each time.

If it hadn't been for his injury, he'd be a top 15 prospect.

He'll be 6th or 7th man next year and get a lot of minutes.

Think DeAndre Liggins with far more offense at this point.

I thought Kennard chose Duke over UK?

 

[mebeblue2]

i actually think Mathews starts at the 3

 

[Tampa_cat54]

I thought Kennard chose Duke over UK?

Kennard took about 30 unofficial visits to UK, and grew up a Kentucky fan, he was ours to lose.

Cal chose to go and get Matthews instead, so Kennard went to Duke.

At the time, Matthews was a 5-star, ranked 12th or 13th in the country IIRC.

 

[ThroughBlue]

Matthews committed first

 

[anewfanatic]

I think he's the best player in the world so you're incorrect

 

[EliteBlue]

Kennard took about 30 unofficial visits to UK, and grew up a Kentucky fan, he was ours to lose.

Cal chose to go and get Matthews instead, so Kennard went to Duke.

At the time, Matthews was a 5-star, ranked 12th or 13th in the country IIRC.

. This is true. Nobody here is saying we didn't want Kennard. I love the kids game. But he wasn't Cals top priority as he isn't the traditional Cal recruit. Cal emphasizes athleticism over a skill guy every time, right or wrong.

 

[bssparks]

Matthews committed and a everybody thought Booker would be back at the time. Matthews was top 20 when he committed.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

I don't expect him the rotation, but will be more than happy if he's a contributor.

You don't expect him in the rotation? Then who the heck is going to be in our rotation? You wanting to just play the starters nearly 40 mins each with Lee as our lone bench guy? This guy is the CLEAR 2nd guy off the bench on paper, and as others have said, he may even start over Mulder at the 3.

 

[bssparks]

Matthews and Willis need to live in the gym this summer and work on their shooting.

 

[BostonCat2001]

stories about kennard's recruitment are going to go down in rafters lore.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

It is hard to know what Matthews will do, but why not be hopeful about a kid who was once ranked in the top 15 or so in the class? He fell in the ranking mostly because he got hurt and missed some AAU cycles, so who is to say he's not what he was once believed to be?

Imagine how different the atmosphere on this board would be if Matthews was still ranked 12th or so, and had the extra benefit of coming in as a guy who had already played on the same team as Ulis and had formed a dynamic scoring tandem with Tyler?

Well, maybe that is what the Cats have. It'll make the summer more agreeable to assume so.

 

[JBnTN]

. This is true. Nobody here is saying we didn't want Kennard. I love the kids game. But he wasn't Cals top priority as he isn't the traditional Cal recruit. Cal emphasizes athleticism over a skill guy every time, right or wrong.

I believe we'll miss not having a few Kennard-type scorers next season.

 

[hotelblue]

stories about kennard's recruitment are going to go down in rafters lore.

willing to set is straight?

 

[EliteBlue]

I believe we'll miss not having a few Kennard-type scorers next season.

. I agree. I'm personally a fan of recruiting shooters and skill players over raw athleticism but I'm not one to argue with success.

 

[bssparks]

stories about kennard's recruitment are going to go down in rafters lore.

At the time Kennard committed he was looking at UK most likely having Matthews, Booker and Malik Newman at his position. He could have waited until the Spring to see how things would shake out.

 

[Bluemamba]

A lot of people are sort of counting out or downplaying Matthews impact on next years team.

Remember, Cal CHOSE Matthews over Kennard.

The kid is going to be VERY good.

I've seen him play in person 3-4 times and came away very impressed each time.

If it hadn't been for his injury, he'd be a top 15 prospect.

He'll be 6th or 7th man next year and get a lot of minutes.

Think DeAndre Liggins with far more offense at this point.

View embedded media

Matthews is a talent, he will be in the line up a lot. Way better than 42. but not in top 25 either.

 

[BlueManToo]

If Murray doesn't reclassify and commit to the Cats, Matthews will need to have a better-than-expected freshman year if we hope to contend.

 

[catlogic15]

What was Matthews injury?

 

[Aike]

What was Matthews injury?

He had a groin injury that he kept re-aggravating.

 

[C8TS]

I see his rankings anywhere from 40-55 range.
There have been some VERY good players over the years in that range, not all have to be top 10 players
Cauley-Stein, Jordan Mickey, Zach LaVine, Tokoto, Brice Johnson, Niang, Quin Cook, Boatright etc ...

I have seen him play 2x and I was very impressed as well. I think he will be playing a lot next year.

7 man rotation
Ulis
Briscoe
Matthews
Poythress
Skal
--------------------------------------------------------
Guard off bench - Mulder
Big off bench - Lee

Foul trouble guys - Hawkins, Willis

 

[dckala2]

Appears to have good body control and ability to get himself into space.

A lot of the things u can't teach he seems to do well on the court.

 

[MWes11]

Crazy how if some people on this board don't see 5 stars next to a recruits name, they write them off. This kid can and will play a big role next year. He is long, athletic and a gritty defender with the ability to score.

 

[The_Godfather]

If he can defend, he'll play a ton next season.

I know people are scared away due to his supposed lack of offense, but the guy will be valuable if he is simply able make an opponent work his ass off trying to score on him.

 

[mj2k10]

Crazy how if some people on this board don't see 5 stars next to a recruits name, they write them off. This kid can and will play a big role next year. He is long, athletic and a gritty defender with the ability to score.

I don't think most people write players off, but you need to realistically assess how much chance a guy has of being an impact player, particularly an impact player from day 1 of his freshman year.

The final RSCI consensus ratings aren't out yet, but Matthews likely finishes in the 35-40 range. Here are the guys who've been 35-39 the last 5 years:

14- Reid Travis, Jonah Bolden, Quentin Snider, Trevon Blueitt, Craig Victor
13- Sindarius Thornwell, Brannen Greene, Tyler Roberson, Jordan Mickey, Eric Mika
12- Shaq Goodwin, Katin Reinhardt, D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Wille Cauley-Stein, Omar Calhoun
11- Dom Pointer, Trevor Lacey, Adjehi Baru, Maurice Harkless, Johnny O'Bryant
10- Ian Miller, Cameron Clark, Justin Coleman, Dwight Powell, Tyler Lamb.

Most guys in the 35-40 range, or 20/25-50 range, if you want to expand in either direction, are talented players who go on to be starters for strong college teams. However, rarely are they able to come in and play a huge role as freshmen. That's just the reality.

 

[BlueBlood66]

At the time Kennard committed he was looking at UK most likely having Matthews, Booker and Malik Newman at his position. He could have waited until the Spring to see how things would shake out.

And when he committed to duke they had Sulaimon, Jones, and Allen. I think it's more of a system thing than anything else. Duke will really showcase Kennard's strengths. That's nothing bad about coach Cal, they just run their offenses differently.

 

[crawfords corner]

From Jonathan Givony in September of 2013
Strengths:
-Good size for a wing. Measured 6-6 with shoes
-Very good athlete. Explosive. Can play above the rim with ease
-Good scoring instincts
-Solid perimeter shooter. Nice shooting mechanics and soft touch. Made 38% of his 3-point attempts at the Nike EYBL. Reliable with feet set
-Good in transition
-Very quick first step. Gets to the free throw line at a high rate
-Makes plays defensively thanks to physical tools. Can be outstanding here if he commits to it

Weaknesses
-Inefficient scorer. 39% from 2-point range at Nike EYBL
-Average ball-handler. Rarely gets all the way to the basket in the half-court
-Settles too often for off-balance floaters and other low percentage shots inside the arc
-Needs to keep getting stronger, which should help him become a better finisher inside the paint
-Doesn't know how to use his body to create contact.
-Does not have a great wingspan (6-7 ½)
-Has an ugly looking stroke shooting off the dribble.

From DraftExpress.comhttp://www.draftexpress.com/#ixzz3ZCTqKYMc
http://www.draftexpress.com

 

[BigKari]

As far as I can tell Charles Matthews is still an NBA prospect. He can defend multiple positions, good motor and high b-ball iq. He's another tough Chicago kid and I can't figure out why we nobody seems excited about him. I'm expecting a lot from Matthews next year and we are going to need him to be a big time player.

 

[W_Heisenberg]

CM committed early and didn't attend a lot of AAU events where these guys are reviewed and ranked. I think he was a top 10-15 guy at one time.

Agree he has a lot of talent and is ranked very low, most scouts will say the same.

 

[FL2287]

Don't forget he was a five star when he committed to UK. He will start and be a very good player.

 

[2Dope15]

Matthews and Willis need to live in the gym this summer and work on their shooting.

MKG couldn't shoot, Matthews will be a good player for us. He'll be a stat sheet stuffer, and be our defensive stopper.

 

[caneintally]

Yeah it really irks me when people only mention Skal and Briscoe when they talk about this years class. Matthews and Mulder are definitely gonna be called upon all year. Matthews can defend multiple positions so I expect to see him on the floor quite a bit.

I am right there with you . Matthews is a 2 year player who will average around 7 pts and 4 rebs this year but next year double that scoring average easy. Kid can ball!

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

It is hard to know what Matthews will do, but why not be hopeful about a kid who was once ranked in the top 15 or so in the class? He fell in the ranking mostly because he got hurt and missed some AAU cycles, so who is to say he's not what he was once believed to be?

Imagine how different the atmosphere on this board would be if Matthews was still ranked 12th or so, and had the extra benefit of coming in as a guy who had already played on the same team as Ulis and had formed a dynamic scoring tandem with Tyler?

Well, maybe that is what the Cats have. It'll make the summer more agreeable to assume so.

Matthews started to fall in the rankings before his injury. Most recruiting guys said he was over ranked at the time to be that high. Not saying I agree with them but let's just be honest here, he didn't fall SOLELY based on the injury. I hope the kid tears it up and proves everyone wrong. I like him.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I see his rankings anywhere from 40-55 range.
There have been some VERY good players over the years in that range, not all have to be top 10 players
Cauley-Stein, Jordan Mickey, Zach LaVine, Tokoto, Brice Johnson, Niang, Quin Cook, Boatright etc ...

I have seen him play 2x and I was very impressed as well. I think he will be playing a lot next year.

7 man rotation
Ulis
Briscoe
Matthews
Poythress
Skal
--------------------------------------------------------
Guard off bench - Mulder
Big off bench - Lee

Foul trouble guys - Hawkins, Willis

Agreed.

Matthews is going to be a great defender before its all said and done.

He will have growing pains as he adjusts to the next level, but by March he will be fine.

He's going to get 20-30 mpg and that experience will pay off by season's end.

We will have four scorers on the floor with him most times, so it's not like we will need him to fill it up.

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

We need offense. That is NOT his strength. He may become a solid player given time but he won't have a major impact as a freshman. Offense will be an issue for next year's class.

 

[thebluestripes]

so when you compare him to liggins, does he bark like a dog on defense?

 

[Teachable Moe]

Matthews is a talent, he will be in the line up a lot. Way better than 42. but not in top 25 either.

I'm a bit hazy on the difference between the 26th best player and the 41st best.

 

[caneintally]

Thanks for providing the research. I wonder how many of those guys were ever ranked in the top 15, but fell through some circumstance outside their control. Matthews got invited to the Jordan Classic, unusual for someone ranked outside the top 25 or so. Maybe that was simply because he is a Kentucky recruit, or is from Chicago where they played the game. Or maybe people who watched him average 23 points at St. Rita's thought he was underrated.

that is the point MD as you plainly see . he isn't a top 40 kid more like top 20 . He is as good as someone like Bacon or Kennard ect . Is he in Briscoe or Skal's league ( top 10 ) ? NO but he is in the next 10-15 or so .