EMANUEL
MATHIS SPOTLIGHT1-22-03
This week the Ram Spotlight focuses on senior guard Emanuel Mathis (Atlanta, Ga./Holy Innocent), who has emerged as a leader and contributor in his final season with VCU's men's basketball team. A 6-3 guard, Mathis averages 10.7 points per game while starting the past 12 games for the Rams (8-6, 3-3 CAA), who host James Madison tonight at 7:30 p.m. in an important CAA contest.
This is the type of contribution Mathis envisioned he would provide when he began his collegiate career, only it's taken much longer to achieve than he expected. After averaging 29 points a game as a senior at Holy Innocent High School, Mathis was recruited hard by VCU, as well as high-profile schools from the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences. Although he liked VCU and its coaching staff, Mathis decided to give the ACC a shot and he signed with Florida State.
"The ACC is probably the best conference in college basketball from top to bottom, and I had a lot of fun playing at Florida State," Mathis said. "But I didn't think I could grow there as a player. You have to pick the right program that fits with the type of player you are, and [FSU] wasn't a good match for me."
Mathis saw action in 42 games off the bench in two years at Florida State and averaged 3.0 points his sophomore year, but he knew he would benefit from a change of scenery. "I knew VCU would be an option for me," he said. "I almost chose VCU out of high school, and I felt it was a program where I would win and participate in something that could be special. [VCU had] the facilities, the commitment to winning, everything I was looking for."
Once he transferred to VCU, Mathis had to sit out a year in accordance with NCAA rules. Fans who attended the Black and Gold game and saw Mathis' only performance of the year were convinced he could be a factor immediately, but Mathis admits he was glad he had a year away from competition. "I needed that year to redirect myself and refocus," he said. "At FSU, I didn't experience success as a player and was a bit down on myself. I needed to take a step back and see things from a different perspective."
The year off also allowed Mathis to focus on his studies, and he had his best year in the classroom. On the court, he treated practices like games. "I really played hard in practice to make the other guys better while making myself a better player too," he said.
After watching all the games from the bench in 2000-01 and waiting for his turn, Mathis ended up on the sidelines again to start the 2001-02 campaign. During the first day of practice, Mathis injured his knee, which required surgery, and missed the first 12 games.
"When I got hurt, it kind of hit me hard initially," Mathis admitted. "I worked hard that summer to be a factor on a championship team. I guess you have to take your lumps in life, and go through trials and tribulations sometimes. But like my high school coach once told me, the best things are those you have to fight for to achieve."
Mathis finally took the court for the Rams against Drexel and he made the type of impact both he and VCU followers expected, as he scored 15 points while hitting three of his six attempts from beyond the three-point line. Just when things started looking up for Mathis, he re-injured his knee five games after making his debut. Although the injury did not cause him to miss any games, he reached double figures in points only twice and never eclipsed his first-game output. But Mathis doesn't use the injury as an excuse. "Everybody plays hurt around the end of the year," he said. "I don't think it affected my season; it was tough just to find a groove to fit into. I just tried to be what we needed and not force the issue but find a way to help the team."
This season, a healthy and happy Mathis is finally able to contribute. In 14 games this season, Mathis has scored at least 13 points seven times, with the Rams winning six of those games. He also has added another three-point shooter to VCU's arsenal, ranking second on the team with 27 threes. After coming off the bench for the first two games, Mathis has started ever since, becoming a starter after coming off the bench for 64 career games. Rather than feel satisfied with his new status, Mathis downplays his role as a starter.
"On this team it doesn't matter who starts the games, you know that whoever is playing well will get minutes," he said. "Coach [Jeff] Capel does a good job of getting the five best players out there for the right situation.
"I've been through so much, as long as this team is trying to be successful, I'm fine with whatever my role is. I just want my team to win."
This year's squad has experienced a lot of ups and downs, with winning streaks and painful last-second defeats. But Mathis knows more than anyone that you have to take the good with the bad, as long as you stay focused on a common goal. "Close games will always help you come tournament time," he said. "The league is going to be like that. Every game will prepare us for the conference tournament. Our goal is still the same, to win the CAA championship. We expect it to happen and have the talent to do it; we're not just saying it or hoping it will happen."
Off the court, Mathis is working on his Master's degree at VCU's SportsCenter graduate program after graduating in December with a degree in parks and recreation and a minor in business. He plans on possibly returning to Atlanta to begin a career in the business side of sports or try his hand at coaching. But for now he's glad he has ended up at VCU, despite not taking the most direct route.
"This is definitely the place for me," he said.