Carmel junior Ethan Matz has been a point guard for as long as he has played basketball. He’s used to having the ball in his hands, both literally and figuratively.
So Matz, a returning starter, has been particularly valuable during this transition period for the Corsairs, who have a new coach, Mike Wasielewski, and a much different roster after nine players graduated.
“When we first started out, there was a lot of new and different stuff that we threw at the players, and I was pretty demanding that they learn everything,” said Wasielewski, who had been Niles West’s coach for seven seasons. “But Ethan picked things up the fastest.
“He’s been super consistent with his production. It’s been a blessing to have someone like Ethan around to help get us pointed in the right direction.”
Indeed, after nine straight losses to start the season, Carmel (9-15) has won nine of 15, and the 6-foot-3 Matz has led the way. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 3.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
Among the bright spots, the Corsairs won four in a row and beat Lake Zurich 54-38 on the road on Jan. 26.
“Those were some tough losses at the beginning of the year,” Matz said. “The hardest part was dealing with some of the close ones. It’s hard to lose when you’re right there.
“But we’ve picked it up after having time to spend with coach, and guys have gotten some confidence after getting more experience.”
Matz, whose teammates voted for him to be the team’s captain, is coming off one of his best offensive games. He scored 19 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter of Carmel’s 65-59 East Suburban Catholic Conference road loss to Marian Catholic on Friday.
“I’ve been a shooter my whole life,” he said. “One of the metrics I follow is to always be hunting for my shot. But you have to know what shots are good in each possession, as long as it’s within the flow of the offense, and take what the defense gives me.”
Matz has worked on that part of his game since he was a kid, when he often was coached by his father Greg, who played basketball at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles and Marian University in Wisconsin.
“He’s by nature an unselfish player, but he’s learning that he also has to take shots,” Greg Matz said. “He’s evolving that way because he’s always been adaptable. The mental part of the game, he’s getting there. When he doesn’t think too much and just plays, he plays well.”
Ethan Matz’s success is also a byproduct of the countless hours he spent playing with his older siblings Kaytlyn and Michael. Kaytlyn Matz is a 2022 Carmel graduate who played at Daemen, which reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in her senior season last year. Michael Matz is a 2022 Carmel graduate and plays at Marian University.
“We were always playing one-on-one in the backyard, and there was a lot of sibling banter,” Ethan Matz said. “I give a lot of credit to them, me getting bullied and bodied by them. It really helped me. It made competing against everyone at my age a lot easier.”
Greg Matz agrees that experience was significant for Ethan.
“He benefited from being the last kid, partly because they didn’t show much mercy on him,” Greg Matz said. “There’s certainly a pedigree in the family that he wanted to follow, and that helped form his competitiveness.”
Going forward, Ethan Matz is focused on helping Carmel compete.
“I knew this would be a completely different year, and I’m grateful that the coach and my teammates have confidence in me,” Matz said. “They trust me to make plays, and I try not to let anyone down. I’ve been glad to see the guys stay consistent, and we’re all working hard.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
