After three seasons in Ann Arbor, redshirt junior guard Charles Matthews is heading to the NBA.
However, before the NBA Draft process begins in full, Matthews attended Michigan’s end-of-the-season banquet Wednesday night. It was one last moment for to him to bask in his collegiate accomplishments before he begins the arduous process of preparing to showcase his talents for NBA teams.
“It’s been cool,” Matthews said about the process Wednesday. “[I’ve been] talking with my coaches and my parents and really just enjoying these few days here on campus. It’s really what this is about.”
For Matthews, the chance to play in the NBA has been a dream of his since he was a little kid. It’s something that he’s been working towards all his life.
“A lot of us have hoops dreams,” he said. “We are all pursuing it. It should be fun. Hopefully, I hear my name called, but right now, I’m getting the work in and preparing for the workouts coming up.”
In the time since Michigan lost in the Sweet 16 to Texas Tech, Matthews has been laying low.
“I’ve been resting,” he said. “I just started getting back in the gym recently. I’ve been resting a lot taking a few weeks off, letting my body heal. Just ready to recoup and get going.”
Not only is he getting his body right, he’s also working on getting mentally ready for the process.
“You take care of your mind as well,” Matthews said. “Understand it’s going to be a journey. There’s going to be ups-and-downs and I’m prepared for that."
Just like the journey to the NBA is filled with ups-and-downs, his collegiate career was too. After barely seeing the court in his freshman season at Kentucky, Matthews transferred to Michigan.
After transferring, he sat out for a season but once he got back on the court, this time for the Wolverines, he scored nearly 1,000 points over his next two seasons.
Although Matthews said the coaching staff doesn’t focus on the NBA, he said they’ve done a great job in getting him ready.
“Really just being so diligent with everything they do each and every day with so much detail preparing us for each opponent we face which allowed us to be the best version of ourselves,” he said. “Guys tend to have success with that. [Coach John Beilein] has a good track record and he does a good job of getting guys prepared and have success at the next level.”
Beilein said that Matthews has a good chance to stick in the NBA because his defensive prowess.
“The defense and what he brought to practice every day is incredible,” Beilein said. “Look at our numbers. Give a lot of credit to Luke [Yaklich] without question but give a lot of credit to Charles because he was getting it done…It’s not a coincidence that we won 63 games with him in the lineup.”
In the two seasons with Matthews on the court, the Wolverines had one of the most efficient defenses in the nation. He leaves a large legacy behind.
"Michigan has meant so much to me that words cannot express my gratitude for what it has provided to me,” Matthews said in a press release. “It has helped shape me into a man, and I am so thankful for my time in Ann Arbor."
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