Prospect Spotlight: Jesiah Matthews (2019)

Jesiah Matthews, a class of 2019 guard at Bullis, was very productive this summer at the BSN Summer League. Although coming off knee surgery in October of 2016 that prohibited him from playing last winter, Matthews says he has been in the weight room and court constantly to become better.

"I would describe my game as smooth and crafty. I'm able catch people off guard with my quick first step, which opens up options for my pull up jump shot or to attack the rim to finish or create for others. While also being able to catch and shoot well when a defender is late closing out," Matthews explained. "One thing that I think sets me apart from other players that isn't always noticeable is my IQ and knowledge for the game. I constantly find myself able to make good decisions in games situations that ultimately lead to success. Doing things like taking good shots, taking care of the ball, or pulling the ball out to run our offense in order to set up my teammates to score are a few examples of how I show my high IQ."

The Bulldogs will have a loaded back court this season. Led by seniors Lincoln Yeutter, Vado Morse, and fellow junior Kolin Lewis. Matthews is bound to pick up some things from his teammates, both in games and practice situations. He will become a better player as a result.

"I recently have noticed extreme improvements in my on ball pressure and ability to get stop defensively. I have also been in the weight room, working on becoming more explosive and stronger to expand my range and ability finishing though contact. I realize I still have a long way to go but those are the things I have been working on mostly to become better on defense and offense," Matthews stated. "The next step for me is living in the weight room to develop a physique that complements my ability to get past defenders and get to the basket. Becoming stronger will allow me to be able to finish through contact without worrying able getting bumped off my path. Another positive that will come from lifting is more range and being able to knock down three from a longer distance."

Matthews says he has always put school first. As determined and hard working student-athlete he take pride takes pride in his 3.75 GPA. Various schools have reached out to my AAU coach inquiring about him, and are excited to see how he performs for the rest of summer especially in the upcoming live period in July. What can Matthews bring to a college program?

"As a person, I bring a hard-working mentality along with strong leadership skills on and off the court. As a leader, I continue to motivate everyone around me to be the best player, teammate, and student they can be. And as a player I bring work ethic, scoring options, defensive stops, and intensity."