Montrealer Bennedict Mathurin is going through intense moments as the NBA draft, which will be held on June 23 at Barclays Center, approaches.
According to several observers, the six-foot-six, 210-pound guard could be chosen in the top 14, after a brilliant second season with the University of Arizona.
Recently, the path took the form of the evaluation camp from May 18 to 20, in Chicago. “It went well, said the athlete from Montreal North. I did the medical tests and I met several teams including the Pacers, Wizards, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, but also Toronto and Chicago. »
“It motivates me to potentially be drafted at a fairly high rank. It can also inspire young people. »
“I take time to savor the process, and I learn too. I want to be able to help other Montreal guys when their time comes, hopefully. »
Mathurin put forward the value of tenacity. “In life, anything is possible with work, if you do the right thing and stay out of trouble,” he said. You have to put in the effort, have self-confidence and persevere. That’s really the message I want to send. »
Mathurin grew up in the same corner of the metropolis as Luguentz Dort, who made his place brilliantly at the Thunder, for three years.
“I spoke with Luguentz, who is a good friend. We just talked about what I can expect for training [avec un club en particulier], and just give my best every time. It is important to me to improve myself every day. »
In recent months, Mathurin has also spoken with Montrealer Joël Anthony, who played 490 games in the NBA, especially with the Heat.
“He told me to play every game as if it were my last,” said Mathurin.
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.
The 19-year-old was named one of the top 10 Wooden All-Americans.
Defeat hard to take
Several pundits believe Mathurin can be picked in the top 10 with his shooting confidence and shot success rate, especially as soon as he takes a pass.
The Wildcats went 33-4 overall. 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.
The Wildcats were the favorites in the southern leg of the national tournament, in San Antonio.
“It was tough losing to Houston. I thought we had a good chance of going further, said Mathurin. But hey, it ended like that. I took a week off to start planning for the summer, then I went to California to start training [à Santa Barbara]. »
The Wildcats were led by Sean Miller in his first season, and by Tommy Lloyd in his second.
“It helped me excel both ways on the ball. Sean was more focused on defense and Tommy on offense, explained Mathurin. The combination helped me a lot to develop versatility. »
In 2018, he opted for the NBA Academy of Latin America, in Mexico.
There are coaches with experience in the pros, in the NCAA and internationally.
Last year, Mathurin helped Canada claim bronze at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.