Emmitt Matthews has found himself in a different position now than he was at this point last season.
During his freshman campaign, the Tacoma, Washington native averaged 5.4 points per game, but saw his role increase during the final stretch of the season and averaged 14.2 points during the team’s six final games.
Behind the arc though, Matthews finished the season shooting just 24.1 percent from downtown, making 14 of 58 attempts. He didn't make his first three-pointer until last season's Iowa State road game on Jan. 30.
Over the offseason, not only did the sophomore’s height increase with Matthews now standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 210 pounds, but he also wanted to improve his jump shot and perimeter shooting.
With the help of fellow sophomore Jordan McCabe starting the breakfast club, Matthews pushed himself with countless reps every morning to improve his jumpers and stay on top of his conditioning.
“Sometimes I try to beat (McCabe) in the morning, but he’s an extreme early bird,” Matthews said. “But I get in there every morning, I see the stuff he does. Sometimes I try to steal the stuff he does and try to stay in shape.
“It’s really just mental for me if I can get up that early and I’m shooting the ball well at 6, 7 a.m., then I really have no excuse to not be able to come in late in the afternoon when I’m wide awake and make jumpers. So I think that’s really all it is.”
Through nine games this season, it looks like those early morning workout sessions with the breakfast club have paid off.
Matthews has already matched his total of three-pointers from last season at 14 after going 2-for-3 from downtown during Thursday’s night blowout win over Austin Peay. He’s now shooting 43.8 percent from three-point range compared to last year’s 24.1 percent on 26 fewer attempts.
Not only that, Matthews also managed to record his first career double-double, finishing with a team-high 16 points and 10 total boards, tying the game-high with big man Oscar Tshiebwe.
Having a bigger presence on the glass was something West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins wanted to see out of him entering this season and Matthews recording double-digit rebounds for the first time this season Thursday is a promising sign for what he can accomplish down the road in that area.
The performance against Austin Peay followed what was a tough game for Matthews and the Mountaineers in last Saturday’s two-point loss to former Big East foe St. John’s inside Madison Square Garden.
During that game, Matthews tallied just six points on 3-of-9 shooting and was 0-for-4 from three-point range.
“You can’t have an on-fire game every game,” Matthews said. “That’s kind of just how basketball goes. Not even (Golden State Warriors guard) Steph Curry can hit them all. I’m gifted and I’m blessed to be here and that game was that game, this game was this game and we got another game Saturday.”
Matthews’s versatility and his increasing presence both around the perimeter and on the glass are exactly what the Mountaineers will need out of the sophomore, but now it’s about doing it consistently as West Virginia continues non-conference play and prepares for its conference slate that starts on Jan. 4 at Kansas.
“He shot it really well, just in the first four or five games,” Huggins said of Matthews. “Then, he kind of didn’t shoot it very well. Guys like him are much better with movement, much better. He can use his length and athleticism. He’s not the thickest, strongest guy. Guys like that need space, they need to be able to move. I thought it helped him a lot.”
WATCH: Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Football and Recruiting Q&A | Episode 50
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