MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — During his first and only season at Washington, Emmitt Matthews would often hear from his younger sister Ahmani.
Both were students at West Virginia before Matthews transferred to UW in April 2021, allowing him to play within one hour of his hometown of Tacoma, where he had been more than 2,600 miles from in Morgantown.
“She called me all year last year and was like, ‘why did you leave?’ I had to do it for me,” Matthews says.
Matthews insists he didn’t depart West Virginia on bad terms and his decision to play for the Huskies stemmed in large part from homesickness that came throughout a 2020-2021 campaign in which the COVID-19 pandemic was greatly impacting attendance and schedules.
“The covid year was really hard for me being so far away from family and my parents came out one time,” Matthews recalled. “We were only allowed to have four family members at the game at that time, so it was really hard for me mentally. You go home and find yourself.”
One season at UW was enough for Matthews, and he’s back at West Virginia for his fifth and final year of college basketball, reconnecting with head coach Bob Huggins in the process.
One of nine players on this year’s West Virginia team that wasn’t around a year ago, Matthews has played three seasons and 92 games for the Mountaineers, giving him more experience in a WVU uniform than any teammate.
“This was home team to me for three years and I wish I would’ve never left the first time,” Matthews said. “Huggs told me in my exit meeting before I left last time, ’the grass isn’t always greener.’ I take that literally.”
Only one player — guard Kedrian Johnson — remains from the last WVU team Matthews was part of, one that finished 19-10 with a second-round NCAA Tournament exit.
With four years of high level college basketball experience, Matthews finds himself in different territory from he was during his earlier days at West Virginia.
“Sometimes we think life is moving way faster than it really is and it’s really moving slow,” he said. “I wake up every day and worry about what does Emmitt have to handle for today. Once I go home at the end of the day, I go over that checklist and if I handled all those things, I had a good day. I try not to stress out about little things. I try to stay happy, have fun and smile.
“Life is crazy. You never know what you’re going to do, who you’re going to run into or where life is going to take you. Life took me back here and I’m going to make the most of the opportunity I have. I’m chill, having a good time and I’m getting old. That’s really what it is.”
Matthews was productive at UW, where he averaged a career-best 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds and played 32 minutes on average. Matthews shot slightly better than 43 percent for the best shooting mark of his career.
That came after three seasons at West Virginia in which he started 67 games, including 55 following his true freshman campaign. Matthews posted career marks of 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds on 40.2 percent field-goal shooting in a WVU uniform.
“He spent more time here than he did anywhere else, so his culture is our culture, which helps us a bunch,” Huggins said.
Matthews hopes West Virginia fans notice a difference in his game during his second stint in Morgantown.
Specifically, Huggins believes Matthews has changed his shooting form for the better, which is something the 6-foot-7 forward credits to Huskies’ assistant Quincy Pondexter, a former UW standout who played nearly a decade in the NBA until 2019.
“When I was here the first time, I had a bit of a shoulder issue from lifting and putting on weight,” Matthews said. “I was shooting the ball almost by my ear to aid the shoulder issue I had. I got it all figured out, but once you get into that mental where every time you shoot the ball you’re used to it being here, it’s muscle memory, so it’s hard to change.
“I worked out with [Pondexter] every day for about a month straight and did things like form shooting for 30 minutes. He helped me a lot changing my release and moving it back over to where it should be — a traditional shot. I worked on that, stuck with it every day and it’s part of the process and grind. I’m glad with the result, but I’m still working on that and it’s definitely something I want to keep getting better at.”
Improved shooting from Matthews would be a big benefit to the Mountaineers, who will likely rely on the veteran to to impact the game in a number of ways through his versatility.
Along the way, Matthews believes his strong understanding of the program and Huggins’ expectations will allow for him to make the most of his final season.
“Three-hour practices are always great. You’re playing for the guy. You’re playing for the man and I think he’s the best to do it,” Matthews said. “When you’re playing for a guy like that, you pick his brain. He has so much knowledge, he’s been around for so long and he knows so many people. It’s like almost anything he tells you, you know it’s right. If he tells you to go opposite, the ball will magically go over there and you’re there and get the rebound. I listen to him. He’s never told me anything wrong.”