Why Cameron Matthews is key to Mississippi State basketball's March Madness hopes

STARKVILLE — Cameron Matthews had no business getting to the ball, at least Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans didn’t think so.

“People talk about 50-50 balls, but that was like a 20-80 ball,” Jans said Wednesday after MSU’s 83-71 win against Ole Miss. “He had about a 20% chance to get that ball and the other kid had about an 80. I didn’t think he was going to get it.”

Matthews proved his coach wrong inside Humphrey Coliseum. After MSU freshman guard Josh Hubbard interrupted an Ole Miss pass, the ball was rolling toward mid-court. Matthews was defending at the 3-point line while Ole Miss’ Jaemyn Brakefield was near the half-court logo.

Yet it was Matthews who burst by Brakefield like a running back through a hole. He reached down, corralled the ball and drew a foul on his way to the basket – giving Mississippi State (18-8, 7-6 SEC) a lead one minute into the second period after trailing by four at halftime.

“I really felt like it set the tone,” Jans said. “He did an excellent job coming out of the break.”

Mississippi State went on to out-score Ole Miss (19-7, 6-7) by 16 in the second half, fueled by Matthews who scored 10 of his 11 points in the frame. Fittingly, he was the force who helped clinched a four-straight win for MSU – a team playing its best basketball as March Madness approaches.

Matthews has often been labeled a glue guy, both by those at Mississippi State and by opposing coaches. He continues to flex those traits, whether it be by collecting loose balls or by sealing defenders to open lanes to the paint.

However, he’s become much more for an MSU team that has seen its adjusted offensive efficiency jump from No. 176 last season to No. 80 this season – Jans’ second with the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State has an assortment of guards who helped solidify the Bulldogs’ NCAA Tournament resume, including Shakeel Moore, Josh Hubbard and Dashawn Davis. However, Matthews is often the primary ball-hander while the guards find opportunities off the ball.

He’s also shown an increased aggression to the basket, which was made evident on the opening possession of the second half against Ole Miss. After a screen from Hubbard, the Ole Miss defense hesitated in deciding whether to defend the freshman guard or stick with Matthews.

In the split second of hesitation, Matthews accelerated to the basket in an attempted dunk, though he settled for a trip to the free throw line.

“He’s really improved,” Jans said. “His play-making ability, his handle, his decision-making – he’s almost a different player than when we arrived.”

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Fouls are often an issue for Matthews, which was the case against the Rebels. He picked up his third before the first media timeout of the second half, forcing Jans to go to the bench. But in his 21 minutes, Matthews still collected five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Matthews continues to do plenty to earn a glue guy label. But with MSU headed toward an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, the senior out of Olive Branch, Mississippi, is proving to be more.

“He’s our heartbeat,” Jans said. “He’s our leader and our personality.”

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Cameron Matthews key to Mississippi State basketball's March Madness hopes