The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 11 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sitting Down With Michigan Redshirt Junior Guard Charles Matthews Redshirt junior Charles Matthews had a huge second half to lead Michigan to a 61-52 victory over Wisconsin Feb. 9, scoring 16 of his 18 points after halftime. Many of them came down the stretch when the Wolverines pulled away from the Badgers, ranked 19th nationally at the time. Matthews answered some of our questions in this Q&A: The Wolverine: You came into the Wisconsin game after four tough shooting games. What led to your big breakout second half against the Badgers? Charles Matthews: "I was just getting the ball more than usual. I wasn't standing around, and the coaches were calling plays to get me the ball. "I've had bad games before, and you just need to shoot your way out of them. … I have a pretty short memory, so when I do miss a shot, I don't even remember it and just keep shooting. I really tried to stay aggressive after my shots started going in." The Wolverine: Teams have started to try to get physical with Michigan, but the team hasn't backed down. How do you handle games like that, and what has made you guys so good defensively? Matthews: "[Zavier Simpson] is from Lima [Ohio], I'm from Chicago, [freshman guard] Dave [DeJulius] is from Detroit and J.P. [Jordan Poole] has family from Chicago, so he has some dawg in him. "We're not worried about all that fake tough stuff on the court, and actually per- form better in that type of environment … and pride is huge [on defense]. Coach- ing and personnel are huge, as well. We have a mixture of everything, and it just all comes together on the defensive end." The Wolverine: Did head coach John Beilein say anything to you after some rough games to get you back on track? Matthews: "No, but he coaches me extremely hard. Every day in practice he's watching my shots. I can just be shooting free throws, and he's watching if I have spin on it. Through everything, good and bad, he continues to stay on me. "If I make two fade-away jump shots in practice, he'll make me take 20 more jump shots. He's really just having me try to be a perfect practice player. He's always dili- gent about how he coaches me." The Wolverine: Coach Beilein said in the Rutgers game he grabbed you after a good play and said, "That's the player you are!" Did he do anything similar against Wisconsin to get you going? Matthews: "I wasn't listening. I'm in the game. All I need to know is what play we're running and who I'm guarding. "He grabbed me, looked me in the eye after a little post up move [at Rutgers], a little turnaround jump shot … but I never doubted myself. "You understand as a player you go through those times. There are going to be more bad games in my career. There's a lot of basketball left in me. I never got dis- couraged, and I'll continue to shoot my way out of any bad moment." The Wolverine: What do you do to help get yourself out of a slump when things aren't going well? Matthews: "I just keep going. The moment you start thinking you're in a slump, it's going to continue. I always come into a game and think this is it; it's time to get going, and play to win. I never knew I was in a slump." — Chris Balas Through 26 games, Matthews was averaging 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL DID YOU KNOW? • Your address will be automatically changed to the mailing address on file with USPS? ALL addresses are cross-referenced with the USPS National Change of Address database. • It can take up to 7 days for the USPS to update your address in their database? To prevent missed issues, please notify them right away. • Your postal forwarding order expires in 60 days or less? Most forwarding requests expire in 60 days and DO NOT always include periodical mail. Issues are discarded at their discretion. • You should call your local post office to verify your delivery address? Don't assume the post office knows your vacation or moving schedule. Avoid Costly Delays & Replacements! Wolverine Customer Service: 1–800–421–7751 We are happy to assist, but due to privacy laws — postal address changes must be completed by you.