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  • Kentucky signee Matthews leads St. Rita to upset win

    By: LARRY VAUGHT



    CHICAGO — From his perspective, it was not a historic win and he gave himself only a C for his performance.

    Yet Kentucky signee Charles Matthews did a little bit of everything for St. Rita here Friday night in a 51-46 upset of Simeon, one of the nation’s top teams and the second-ranked team in Illinois.

    Matthews showcased his array of talent for UK coach John Calipari and assistant coaches Kenny Payne and Barry Rohrssen as well a national TV audience on ESPN2. Matthews had a game-high 17 points and 13 rebounds, four blocks, two steals and two assists. However, he was not happy with six turnovers against Simeon’s pressure or his 6-for-16 shooting from the field or 3-for-7 at the foul line.

    “We just came out and battled and competed. I give a lot of credit to Simeon. That is a hell of a team,” he said.
    They are all big wins. I just want a (state championship) ring on my finger. Every win in is a big win. They were a big game on our schedule, but we were a big game on their schedule. We believe in ourselves, too.

    “It meant a lot to have my future coach here supporting me, but we just looked at it as another game on the schedule that we wanted to win. I would give myself a C. I kind of took my aggressiveness away. We should have kept attacking in the fourth quarter, but it was an okay game. Just got to get better from it.”

    St. Rita coach Gary DeCesare thought Matthews did everything possible to help his team win.

    “He does so many good things on the court. He is the key to our defense and just shows leadership on the court for our kids. He is a great player and showed that tonight,” DeCesare said. “He has great length, great versatility and great defensive prowess. He can handle the ball, run the point if needed. I play him everywhere because he can guard a wing forward and bigger guy if needed.

    “He can score 30 point or have 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and control a game. That’s just the versatility he has in his game and he showed that tonight.”

    He did soar over opponents — the two teams could have had as many as 10 future Division I players on the court — to grab rebounds and once got so high to get a rebound and score that it resembled the athleticism of injured UK forward Alex Poythress. But he also dove on the floor for loose balls, hit two 3-pointers including a stepback 3 in the second half, and consistently used his left hand to drive into the lane and either go to the basket or dish to an open teammate.

    Matthews, a 6--6 wing, scored 12 of his points in the second half when his team built a big lead and then held on in the final minutes for the win.

    “It was a tough, physical game. I got bloodied. They battled and put up a fight. They never backed down,” Matthews said. “We know now that we don’t have to make every shot to win. We can rebound, get on the floor for loose balls. I think I saw a team as a whole get on the floor for more 50-50 balls than ever before.”

    Matthews said his “relentless” play is one reason he hit the boards so hard.

    “I  am a savage on the boards. I am kind of relentless. It is easy. Just do something. Shots go up. They are all not going in, so anybody can go get the ball,” he said. “Same with loose balls. I just went after what I could. It was a battle and we came to fight just like they did.”

    DeCesare says Matthews is a “great student of the game” and a more mature player this season.

    “He takes in everything that happens,” the coach said. “When your best player is the last one to leave the gym every day, you have something special.”

    Playing a game like the one Friday — “this was the best team in the state we played,” said DeCesare — should only help Matthews at Kentucky.

    “He will be prepared for Kentucky,” DeCesare said. “Our track record has been good with kids at the next level. We’ve had over 35 players go play across the country. We try to play a tough schedule. Charles has learned pretty quickly that he has a big target on his back now. Guys are going after him and being really physical with him. But that’s why the Chicago Catholic League is a great league. It makes you get tough and ready.

    “We stress defense and rebounding the basketball. That is two things Charles will do. But he’s a great kid with terrific work ethic and great personality away from basketball. Kentucky is getting a high quality person and great kid. He’s also a high quality player that will just get better and better. He’s really special now and is going to be even more special.”





    Photos by Glenn Carpenter, Moraine Valley Community College
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    Re: Oakland v UK hall of fame

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