Stories Of Success: Cameron Matthews
February 06, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Big man leads Bulldogs on and off the court.
(Throughout Black History Month, Mississippi State is celebrating its current Black student-athletes, coaches and administrators by telling several of their personal stories. Today, HailState.com shines the spotlight on Bulldog men's basketball forward Cameron Matthews.)
STARKVILLE – Cameron Matthews can't explain it, but there's something about the Mississippi State junior forward that is magnetic. Others have always been drawn to him.
"Growing up, people just always gravitated towards my energy, so I guess I just brighten peoples' day or something like that," Matthews said. "My mom used to tell me stuff like that."
Well as mothers tend to be, Matthews' mom was right.
It might sound strange. Here's a 6-foot-7, 225-pound young man whose sheer size could be intimidating. Yet his Mississippi State teammates through the years have relentlessly praised Matthews for his ability to welcome all and get a laugh out of anyone.
"I don't see what they see in me," Matthews said. "I'm just a regular guy."
That's where Matthews could be considered wrong. He's a special guy, both for his ability to boost the morale of those around him as well as for his tremendous play on the basketball court.
Many don't get to see the behind-the-scenes part of Matthews' leadership. But as for all the blocks and slams and energy he brings on game day, well, Bulldog fans are all too familiar with every bit of that.
Matthews can do it all, but it's on defense where he shines the brightest. That's apparent both on the highlight reels and the stat sheets.
Over the course of his MSU career, the Olive Branch, Mississippi, native has 31 career games of five or more rebounds. He also has 31 contests with two or more steals, as well as 34 games with two or more assists. Matthews is the only Southeastern Conference player this season to have five assists, five blocks and five steals in a single game.
Matthews traces his defensive dominance back to his days as a small kid, around eight years old playing AAU basketball. Back then, it was defend…or else.
"It was like we pressed all game," Matthews said. "There really wasn't a lot of basketball. There were just a lot of traps, steals and all that. Really, that's all we were drilled growing up. For everyone on the team, you had to be some type of good at defense to play."
Perhaps all Matthews learned on the hardwood carried over to his other sports interests.
As Matthews grew older, he fell in love with football.
"I was pretty set on going to the NFL," Matthews said of his passion for the gridiron. "I wasn't even thinking about the NBA for real. I was more of a football guy."
And true to form, one of his primary positions was on the defensive side of the ball, at safety.
However, it wouldn't last. Life has a funny way of working itself out, and it did so for Matthews. Following his eighth-grade year, Matthews was bored with football and saw his best path to success was through basketball. From there, Matthews' hoops career took off.
In his sophomore year at Olive Branch, Matthews – along with fellow current Bulldog D.J. Jeffries – won a state championship. Matthews followed that up by averaging 11.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior.
Then, in his final high school season, Matthews had a monster year. He averaged a double-double at 16.2 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. He also had 5.4 assists and 3.1 blocks a contest. Matthews' talents led to interest from some of the country's most well-known programs.
It'd be easy to assume with all the attention on him that Matthews was probably anxious when it came time to decide his next step. Well, he insists that wasn't really the case.
Instead, he relied on his family's prayers and his own faith to guide him in the right direction.
"I wouldn't say I was stressed," Matthews recalled. "I tend to not even think like that. I was just living my life and trying to be the happiest person I could be. But my family – everybody on my mom's side is really religious. So, whenever I needed any type of guidance, it was to pray and let it lead in the right direction. Really the biggest advice I've ever had in my life was just to pray."
Matthews felt led to stay in his home state and just like that, he was Starkville bound where he's become a vital piece of the Bulldogs for going on three seasons now. He's helping his team to wins on the floor and keeping their spirits high off of it.
He's making a name for himself with the way he plays and the way he conducts himself. And when all is said and done, whenever that is, Matthews says that's what he hopes sticks in the MSU family's minds.
"I just want everybody to remember that I was a good person, and I was all Mississippi State," Matthews said. "I always played hard and gave everything to the program and to the city. I'd do anything for Mississippi State."
