West Virginia Basketball: Breaking down the vital 2018 recruiting class

SF Emmitt Matthews Jr. – Tacoma, WA

Leading off the group of four incoming freshman covered in this article, Emmitt Matthews Jr. comes into West Virginia as the No. 175 ranked recruit in the class. A 6-foot-6 wing, Matthews was the last player to commit to West Virginia for this class. This was, though, due to the fact that he had originally been committed to UConn prior to the firing of head coach Kevin Ollie. He then asked to be released from his LOI and ended up joining the Mountaineers.

Matthews is a versatile wing with a varied skill set. For starters, he possesses solid size and length for a wing. With above-average athleticism as well, Matthews projects as a switchable defender who can guard 2-through-4 when necessary. Even if “Press Virginia” is no more, the Mountaineers will still heavily rely on defense in the future and Matthews should fit that mold. Offensively, he is at his best when playing as a slasher. Matthews is not a dangerous threat from 3-point range at this point in his career but he does finish well around the basket and above the rim.

As a high school senior, Matthews had a standout season. While averaging 25.9 minutes on the floor, Matthews posted 22.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. This kind of all-around production on both ends of the floor cannot be understated as he consistently showed effort to go along with this physical gifts. If there is one concerning part about Matthews’ season, though, it is that he shot just 29.5% (46-for-156) from beyond the 3-point arc. Still, he did finish on 51.2% of his 2-point attempts.