Emmitt Matthews helping West Virginia in more ways than one

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — On one of Emmitt Matthews Jr.’s eight rebounds against Pitt, he looked around to make an outlet pass, but found no one open.

Instead of trying to force a bad pass, the sophomore simply dribbled up the floor and then kept dribbling all the way to the rim.

The Panthers defense offered little resistance and Matthews finished with a coast-to-coast lay-up.

“He may not have made that same play last season,” WVU guard Jordan McCabe said. “He played really well late last season and he’s carried that momentum into this season. He’s more confident now in his abilities.”

On paper, the 6-foot-7 Matthews appears to be the forgotten man on a West Virginia frontline that also includes power players in Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe.

Matthews is no brute like those two, yet he is the Mountaineers (2-0) second leading rebounder at 7.5 boards per game heading into Monday’s 7 p.m. game against Northern Colorado (2-2) of the Big Sky Conference.

He is also not a lightning-fast guard, but he leads WVU in both scoring (15.0 ppg.) and in 3-point shooting (6 of 11).

“It’s just a matter of me being more aggressive and trying to make the right plays,” Matthews said. “We’ve got so many other guys who can make some plays, which helps a lot.”

Since leading WVU to an upset over Texas Tech — he scored 28 points in that 79-74 win — in last season’s Big 12 tournament, Matthews has begun to find new elements to his game.

A season later, that element has been the 3-point shot, rebounding and making a play at the right moment.

“Every time (Pitt) made a run and started to get some momentum going, Emmitt made a play,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “He made a shot in the corner and he made a couple in the first half when the game was tight. He got a couple of breakaways. Emmitt was the key. He made plays when we had to have a play.”

Pitt had closed to within 51-44, when Matthews knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game with 7:34 remaining.

He added a tip-in minutes later and followed that up with his coast-to-coast drive that made it 60-46 with 4:05 left in the game.

All three plays were an example of just how much Matthews’ game has developed since last season, in the sense that he can shoot from the outside or drive the ball to the basket, as well as get to the rim for an offensive rebound.

“Emmitt really shelled out tonight,” McCabe said. “He’s also really good at helping us defend ball screens. He does a great job of hedging on those screens. He probably doesn’t get enough credit for what he does on defense.”

His defense will be needed mostly at the 3-point line against the Bears, who are averaging 28 3-point attempts per game and making 10.5 threes per game.

Matthews could likely draw Bodie Hume as his defensive assignment. Hume, a 6-foot-6 guard leads Northern Colorado in scoring at 17.5 points and is shooting 11 of 30 (37%) from 3-point range.

Northern Colorado has five players averaging double figures and they are all guards.

The Bears are coming off a 77-72 overtime loss against Northern Iowa, in which senior guard Jonah Radebaugh led the Bears with 24 points.

The match-up is a preliminary game heading into next week’s Cancun Challenge. WVU will face Northern Iowa in the first round of that tournament.

“I’m just looking forward to keeping it all going,” Matthews said. “We’re in a good place right now as a team. We just beat a Power Five school on the road and it was a win that will mean a lot to all of our fans. We just have to keep working hard and stay focused and good things will happen for us I believe.”

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