Matthews Making Things Happen
February 15, 2024 | Men's Basketball
State senior continues to be an incredibly versatile piece for the Bulldogs.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State has found its groove after back-to-back victories over Georgia and Missouri, and one of the catalysts of the Bulldogs' success has been the versatility of Cameron Matthews.
The senior from Olive Branch, Mississippi ranks fourth in Evan Miyakawa's Glue Guy rankings alongside his teammate D.J. Jeffries at 20th and for good reason. Matthews epitomizes what head coach Chris Jans is looking for, giving the Bulldogs a little bit of everything. He leads the team with 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, while ranking second on the team with 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
"He's our leader, he's our heartbeat and he's our personality," Jans said. "If I had my druthers, that's how we would play, how he plays. He's got to be a nightmare to talk about because he's got a unique game with not shooting the three much and just his bully drive in and the way he slices the court and his vision to be able to pass to people.
"He's really good on the interior. But now, he's getting better at hitting the guys at the three. He's a major piece of what we're trying to do, and he just needs to continue to be that leader that we need him to be."
𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭! @nolimitc4m 🤝 @lildjj0 #HailState🐶 || @EvanMiya pic.twitter.com/Tmh3iTYcMg
— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 14, 2024
Matthews continued to stuff the stat sheet in Mississippi State's victories over Georgia and Missouri. He scored nine points with four assists in both games, but his true value came on the defensive end as he helped the Bulldogs hold Georgia to 35.1 percent from the field in the 75-62 victory followed by the team's stingiest defensive output of the season in the 75-51 win at Missouri.
The 6-foot-7 forward blocked a season-high four shots against Georgia while adding 11 rebounds and three steals. Against Missouri, he was a nightmare for the Tigers' offense by swiping a career-high seven steals while hauling in seven rebounds. The Bulldogs are simply just a better team when he's out on the floor, as he led the team in plus-minus both games at plus-23 against Georgia and plus-26 against Missouri.
"I just go out there and try to be the best version of me," Matthews said after the win over Missouri last Saturday. "Whatever my team needs, trying to be the leader I can be, I guess tonight was a little bit of everything. Shoutout to my teammates for getting me to go hard every day. Coach Jans, the coaching staff, everybody."
Matthews has been the leader of a Mississippi State defense that ranks seventh nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, as the Dawgs' stout play on that end of the floor has helped them take down two top-10 teams this earlier season in Tennessee and Auburn. He keeps bringing a Bulldog mentality to the floor every game, embracing the style of play that Jans wants from his team.
"It's really, really big [and] that's what we try to make our identity about," Matthews said. "Just rebounding, playing harder on the other team and really good defense. So, it's just really exciting to get back on that side of things."
