One week before the NBA draft, where he is a very prominent prospect, Bennedict Mathurin wishes above all to land in a club where he can flourish and contribute, without delaying too long.
Posted at 4:49 p.m.
“It may seem good to be chosen at such a rank, but above all I want a place where I can have an impact from the start, said the Montrealer by videoconference on Thursday. I want to be able to help quickly. It is also a matter of development. »
The draft will take place on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Quebecer could hear his name in ranks five to seven – in order the Pistons, the Pacers and the Trail Blazers, the three clubs with whom he has had training, to date.
Other pundits see Mathurin picked eighth, by the Pelicans. The principal concerned also spoke with other clubs during the camp of the hopes of the NBA last month, in Chicago.
Before shining in the NCAA, the Montreal North player opted in 2018 for the NBA Academy of Latin America, in Mexico.
There are coaches with experience in the pros, in the NCAA and internationally.
“It was a fantastic experience,” said Mathurin, who turns 20 on Sunday. Living in another country and living alone, it helped me for what I would live later.
“I was able to meet extraordinary people and understand what it takes to move to another level. »
A six-foot-six, 210-pound athlete, Mathurin then played for two seasons with the University of Arizona.
The Pac-12 Player of the Year, Mathurin improved his points per game average from 10.8 to 17.7 from his rookie season to the second.
He was named one of the top 10 Wooden All-American players after his second campaign.
Mathurin said Thursday that each of his practices has gone well.
Asked about the Pacers, he said he would see himself well with them, pointing to the talent of players like Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, but also the presence of a renowned coach like Rick Carlisle.
Carlisle’s roots are in upstate New York.
Standing 15th in NBA history for wins, the 62-year-old is also the president of the NBA Coaches Association.
Since 2014, Indiana has been beaten in the first round five years in a row, failing to reach the playoffs on other occasions.
The team is coming off its worst season since the mid-1980s, going 25-57.
Indiana had a lot of success in the 1990s, with Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson in particular.
For Mathurin, the road to success was marked by tragedy.
When he was 12, his older brother Dominique lost his life in a bicycle accident, aged 15.
“He’s the reason why I’m going ahead,” Mathurin said Thursday. He’s the reason why I want to be the best at what I do. »
Mathurin and his big sister Jennifer found the strength to get through the ordeal, thanks in particular to sport.
Jennifer played basketball for four years with North Carolina State; she is now an assistant coach at Bishop’s, on the women’s side.
“She was my idol and she still is,” Mathurin has already said. She always pushed me to improve myself. She made sure to guide me well so that I could be successful. »
On Thursday, he also said this: “It is thanks to her that I have become a very confident person. »
Several experts have noted the explosive side of the Quebecer, but also his willingness to shoot and the success rate of the shots, especially as soon as he grabs a pass.
The Wildcats went 33-4 overall this season.
In the March Madness Sweet Sixteen, they were defeated 72-60 by the University of Houston.
Mathurin had 15 points in this game, after collecting 18 and 30 points in the first two games of the tournament.
Arizona was led by Sean Miller in its first season, and by Tommy Lloyd in its second.
Mathurin argued that the former being more focused on defense and the latter on offense helped him become more versatile.
Last year, Mathurin helped Canada claim bronze at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.
He grew up in the same corner of the metropolis as Luguentz Dort, who made his place brilliantly with the Thunder, for three years. He considers Dort a good friend.
The Nets’ home has hosted the draft every year since 2013 except 2020, due to the pandemic.