After a season that saw them make it to the NCAA tournament for the first time, USC basketball should continue to improve, especially with the addition of incoming freshman Jonah Mathews. Mathews, the brother of Cal graduate transfer Jordan Matthews, is primed for immediate success at USC; he has shown throughout his high school career that he is one of the top shooters in the Class of 2016. “Being a top recruit doesn’t really mean anything now, in college, so I have to keep working. I can’t get big-headed because I know that everybody else is working.” says the 6’1,” 175lb shooting guard.

 

For Mathews, basketball comes with the territory. By the age of five, he already had a basketball in his hand, playing with his older brother Jordan, who just finished his Junior year of college. “Jonah is very driven, he understands what it takes to be good,” says the older Mathews brother. “ I know he will be an impact player in the Pac-12.”

While his older brother clearly had an impact in Mathews starting to play basketball, it was his father that was his biggest influence. His father, Phil Mathews, is currently the head coach at Riverside Community College and was the main reason that Mathews started to play: “My dad has coached for 43 years now and ever since he put a basketball in my hand, he told me, ‘Either you want to do it or you’re not,’” says the high school Senior. “Soon after, I fell in love with the game.”

Mathews’ love for the game has led him to become one of the nation’s top players, especially after a dominant senior season at Santa Monica High School (Santa Monica, CA). Ranked by ESPN as the 79th player in the 2016 class, Mathews held offers from schools such as San Diego State, Gonzaga, and Arizona State (among others), but when it came time to make a decision, Mathews knew that he wanted to stay close to home, saying, “My family can see me play and they won’t have to travel anywhere,” explained Mathews.  “They can just come down and see me play all the time.”

With a precise three-point shot, Matthews should have more than his family coming to see him play. NBA scouts should come in bunches to see the younger Mathews brother play and he already has plans to do great things. “For my Freshman year, I want to go out and average eight points per game. Beyond that, I want to make the All-Freshman team,” Mathews continued, “Sophomore year, I hope to get an All Pac-12 honor.”

 

Next year, USC will not only be getting one of the top shooters in the country but a player that has great ambition. When Mathews first started his high school career, nobody could’ve guessed that he would become the player that he is today, but once he started playing in the Nike EYBL with Cal Supreme his freshman year, his future became a lot brighter. “They put me out on the map.” says the Cal Supreme guard. “As a Freshman, I knew I could shoot, but as time progressed, they put me out on the Nike EYBL and I was put into the spotlight.”

Still, Mathews is labeled as “just a shooter”, something that he plans to change next year at USC. Despite showing his all around skills throughout high school, the NCAA will be his first real chance to change the national opinion on him. “At first, I was just labeled as a shooter, but I’ve overcome that and improved my game on all levels.”

 

   We’ve already seen what one Mathews brother can do in the Pac-12, but next year, with Jonah Mathews, expectations are through the roof, and rightfully so. He is clearly a player to keep on your radar next year. With a deadly three-point shot and an unbreakable drive, Jonah Mathews is clearly “Driven”.