Rivals150 senior Emmitt Matthews pledges to WVU

West Virginia scooped up one of the few remaining members of the Rivals150 with the commitment of Emmitt Matthews. A four-star wing from the state of Washington, Matthews, who was a one-time commit to UConn, is a quality spring addition that brings size, athleticism and upside to Morgantown.

Matthews, who receive his release from UConn last month following the coaching change in Storrs, visited WVU last weekend, of which sold him on the Big 12 program. “It is the perfect situation for me. They believe in me which is the greatest value,” he said. “With Teddy (Allen) leaving, I have the chance to start on the wing the day that I get onto campus and they want to get out into transition more.”

A 6-foot-7 wing that heard overtures from Oklahoma, Washington, Oregon State and a handful of others, Matthews has the chance to leave an immediate mark at WVU. Valued for his athleticism, shooting skills and versatility as a half-court defender, Matthews could thrive in the up-tempo system that has become a hallmark of Bob Huggins’ more successful teams in recent years.

The Mountaineers recently saw Teddy Allen transfer out of the program and will lose stalwart guards Daxter Miles and Jevon Carter to graduation. They did gain further optimism last week upon Esa Ahmad, WVU’s top returning scorer, pulling his name out of the NBA Draft, where Matthews will not be leaned upon as severely since the rising senior did not hire an agent.

Matthews is now a member of a six-man group that will enroll at the Big 12 program this fall. Besides junior college prospects Jermaine Haley and Andrew Gordon, Matthews will be joined in the freshmen class by fellow Rivals150 guards Jordan McCabe and Trey Doomes, along with talented big man Derek Culver, creating a strong four-man 2018 class that should uphold the culture set into place in Morgantown.