Bennedict Mathurin led the way for a revived University of Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team ready to hit the dance floor at the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
The 19-year-old Montreal sophomore guard has had one of the best appearances in U.S. college basketball this season, averaging 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 37.6 percent from three points. He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, the Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and was selected by the Associated Press as a second-team All-American.
Along with all of the individual announcements, Mathurin helped Arizona climb back to the top with the Wildcats winning both the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles, earning a No. 1 seed in the Southern Region in the NCAA Tournament.
From his smooth jumper to his explosive athleticism, Mathurin has proven to have all the tools to dominate the college game, and has drawn NBA talent evaluators about his potential to the next level with almost every major mock draft projecting him as a top-10. chooses.
Overcoming repetition
But for all the success Mathurin has experienced this season, it has not been an easy road for the 19-year-old.
At a young age, Mathurin dealt with the ultimate misfortune. When he was 12 years old, Mathurin had to deal with the loss of his older brother Dominque, who died at the age of 15 in a bicycle accident.
Bennedict and his older sister Jennifer turned to sports to help them.
Jennifer has played four more seasons with the powerful North Carolina State Women’s program and is currently an associate coach with Bishop’s University Women’s Basketball Team.
“She was my idol before and she still is today,” Bennedict said in a recent video conference. “She always pushed me and she was always better than me, of course, because she was older and stronger than me. But she always pushed me to be better than her and she kept me on a straight line for that. I’m successful in life. “
Raised in Montreal with his sister as his role model, Mathurin played football and hockey, in addition to basketball. He claims he was actually a pretty good hockey player, but due to his sister’s success with Hoops, the choice was clear where he would focus his athletic pursuits.
He had a goal in mind to play NCAA basketball and eventually get to the NBA.
Development in Mexico
At the beginning of his high school career, Mathurin was considered a four-star recruit but felt he did not get enough eyeballs on him, so he decided to try something no other Canadian had done before.
In 2018, Mathurin made the bold decision to pursue a traditional high school career, and instead of playing for the NBA Academy Latin America and Mexico, becoming the first Canadian to do so.
The NBA Academy is a year-round elite basketball development program that offers top high school-age perspectives from outside the United States with a holistic approach to player development, focuses on health and wellness, character development and life skills, and gives prospects the opportunity to learn the game of coaches engaging the NBA with professional, collegiate, and international coaching experience.
There are four NBA academies around the world in Australia, India, Senegal (representing the African continent) and the Latin American Academy in Mexico.
Athletes who attend NBA academies are full-time students and receive full scholarships to participate.
‘Incredible Transformation’
Mathurin said the two years he spent at the academy were probably the best thing he could have done for his future basketball career.
“When [Mathurin] “came here as a very young man, he was very shy, was not very open and it was hard to trust people until he found out that the NBA Academy is all about helping student athletes”, said Mathurin NBA Academy coach Walter Roese. “He was very calculated and it was an incredible transformation from day 1 to the day he left.
“It took him quite a while to warm up his teammates and coaches and develop that confidence,” added Chris Ebersole, NBA associate vice president in charge of international basketball operations. “He’s still a bit reserved, but he has this confidence and calm leadership, with which he carries himself, that I think his teammates really respect, really appreciate his coaches and, I think, his opponents probably fear.”
He was able to apply for the NBA Draft after his first year, but chose to return for his second season. This decision led to a dramatic increase in his draft share, while he also had the opportunity to participate in March Madness.
The Wildcats operate under a self-imposed post-season ban in 2021 amid an ongoing NCAA investigation into an FBI bribery scandal involving a former assistant coach and agent, meaning Mathurin missed both the 2021 Pac-12 tournament and the NCAA Tournament they play.
This year, he helped lead the Wildcats to a No. 1 seed.
“I’m pretty excited,” Mathurin said. “It’s my first time playing in March Madness, so I’m looking forward to going as far as possible and winning the national championship.”
Deep Canadian group
Mathurin headlines a deep group of 30 Canadians participating in the NCAA Tournament.
Other notables from the north of the border include Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga), Zach Edey (Purdue), Caleb Houstan (Michigan), Abu Kigab (Boise State), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette), Charles Bediako (Alabama), Marcus Carr ( Texas) and Tyrese Samuel (Seton Hall).
Mathurin shared the floor with many of these players at the Canada Bronze Medals at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia.
There is a chance that Mathurin’s Wildcats could actually face Samuel, a Montreal Hooper, and Seton Hall in round 32 of the tournament.
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