Emmitt Matthews Jr. Brings Familiarity and Leadership Back to West Virginia

West Virginia continues to make use of the switch portal to its benefit and choose up wanted gamers to fill among the voids. Washington switch and former WVU F Emmitt Matthews Jr. introduced on Friday afternoon that he might be returning to Morgantown for his closing season of faculty eligibility.

Matthews is a well-recognized face to the WVU males’s basketball program, taking part in three seasons for Bob Huggins from 2018-21. The Tacoma native spent this previous season at Washington.

Earlier than Matthews introduced his return to West Virginia on Friday, there was just one participant left from the 2021 NCAA Event workforce in Kedrian “Keddy” Johnson. Subsequent season, WVU might be welcoming a minimum of seven new gamers to this system. West Virginia is lacking that familiarity they usually simply gained a few of it again.

Throughout his solely season at Washington, Matthews averaged 11.7 factors and 4.7 rebounds for the Huskies. Matthews shot 43 p.c from the sector, 34 p.c from three and 76 p.c from the free-throw line.

It appeared for some time that the wing depth for subsequent yr’s workforce can be Jamel King, Patrick Suemnick and Josiah Harris. Suemnick and Harris have but to reach on campus but and King solely performed 29 minutes final season. Now WVU has their beginning wing that they’ll depend on.

Matthews will both play the three or the 4 subsequent season relying on if the teaching employees desires to play small or not. After Oscar Tshiebwe left this system throughout Matthews’ junior season, the 6-foot-7 ahead needed to play a bit on the 4. Matthews could be trusted to suit that position simply.

Final season, the Mountaineers missed the power and athleticism from Matthews. They didn’t have a slashing wing that would take it to the outlet. Jalen Bridges confirmed indicators at instances however tended to stretch the ground extra. Matthews will have the ability to are available in and provides the teaching employees what they count on. Matthews may also are available in and know what to anticipate from Huggins. He is aware of the system, the tradition. Matthews received’t be going blindly into this.

Matthews may have one yr of eligibility remaining. This marks the second time Matthews has transferred however he is not going to have to sit down out as a consequence of being a graduate switch.

Matthews is the third switch that WVU’s teaching employees has been in a position to purchase from the portal. Over the previous couple of weeks, WVU has picked up Erik Stevenson (South Carolina) and Joe Toussaint (Iowa), whereas getting JuCo transfers in Jimmy Bell Jr. and Mohamed Wague.

With the dedication from Matthews, West Virginia has stuffed out all of their roster spots for the 2022-23 season. Huggins has made it obvious that they aren’t in opposition to the thought of including one other switch from the portal. WV Sports activities Now will hold updated with the newest recruiting and switch portal information through the offseason.