Matthews will be a Mountaineer. Wilson basketball standout commits to West Virginia
Nearly two months of uncertainty are over for Emmitt Matthews Jr.
The 6-foot-7 standout wing from Wilson High School, who decommitted from UConn in March, announced Saturday he will play Division I basketball at West Virginia.
"Everything happens for a reason. I always think of it that way," Matthews said. "Now I'm in a situation where I really feel like I can go compete for a national title every year.
"The program there speaks for itself, the coaching speaks for itself. I think I need a program to push me to be the best I can be every day."
Matthews was granted release from his National Letter of Intent from UConn shortly after the program made a coaching change in March.
WVU coach Bob Huggins visited Matthews at his home in Tacoma in early April, and Matthews followed up with a visit to the Morgantown, W.Va. campus on May 2.
He said the growing, modern campus reminded him a lot of home. And, with no professional teams in the state, Matthews said there is a great atmosphere surrounding college athletics.
Huggins tweeted early Saturday about his appreciation for support of WVU's program — perhaps with a hint about what was coming later in the evening.
"We are excited about the guys returning along with the guys that are coming in ... and we aren’t done yet," Huggins wrote.
WVU has advanced to the Sweet 16 the past two seasons. In 2018, the Mountaineers topped Murray State and Marshall before losing to eventual national champion Villanova.
Matthews will join a WVU program that hasn't missed the NCAA Tournament since 2014.
"For a kid from the northwest to have an opportunity to play for Coach Huggins and a program like West Virginia — what an exciting time," said Carl Howell, who coaches Matthews' AAU team.
Matthews is listed as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and three-star recruit by 247Sports.com. He collected eight offers, including Pac-12 schools Washington and Oregon State, before ultimately choosing WVU.
Matthews said he was in contact with high-major schools, including California, Louisiana State, N.C. State, Oklahoma and Wichita State, among others.
He piqued interest from several programs after playing at the first two stops on the Under Armour Association circuit this spring for his AAU team, Washington Supreme.
He was among the top 15 players in scoring (16.5 points per game) and rebounding (7 per game) average after the events in Dallas and Indianapolis.
"He had a ton of interest from people, but I think he was really smart," Howell said. "Coach Huggins came out and focused in on him, and wanted to make sure he took his time to make sure he went to the right place."
Howell said Matthews — a big, athletic wing who can make plays and score — will fit well into Huggins' system at WVU well.
"I think he will be great for Emmitt," Howell said. "I think he will push Emmitt to his maximum potential."
"He wants me to come in and earn everything I want," Matthews said of Huggins.
During his final season at Wilson, Matthews led the Rams to the Class 3A state semifinals, despite playing with a broken wrist during the playoffs.
He was an all-state selection by The News Tribune and The Associated Press after averaging 22.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
He was also TNT's All-Area player of the year, and named the 3A state player of the year by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.
Now, after a longer recruiting process than he anticipated, Matthews said he's ready to enjoy his remaining time at home in Tacoma.
"I want to sit back and enjoy the rest of my senior year of high school," he said. "Now I can just focus on school and finish out strong."
This story was originally published May 12, 2018 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Matthews will be a Mountaineer. Wilson basketball standout commits to West Virginia."