Among West Aurora’s three sophomore guards, Jaden Matthews-Thomas isn’t the headliner, but he has an important role in keeping the group in sync for the Blackhawks.
Defense and rebounding are top of the mind for the 6-foot-1 Matthews-Thomas, with the rest of the trio being rounded out by 5-10 point guard Travis Brown and 5-10 shooter Abe Martinez.
Their development has been a key this season for coach Michael Fowler, who promoted Matthews-Thomas and Martinez to join Brown on varsity out of need after Thanksgiving.
“To start the season, I didn’t think I’d have three sophomores out there being heavy contributors, and at times, all three starting,” Fowler said of Matthews-Thomas, Brown and Martinez. “They took to it well. I didn’t know if they could stay up, but they’ve proven they can play varsity.
“They’re not going anywhere any time soon. They’ll be a staple here for a couple more years to come.”
Matthews-Thomas and senior forward Terrence Smith came off the bench together in the first quarter Thursday night, sparking West Aurora’s rally from 11 points down in a 63-44 Upstate Eight Conference victory over visiting Larkin.
“My role is to be a huge defensive player,” said Matthews-Thomas, who finished with three points, four rebounds and two key steals in the second quarter. “The offense will come.
“But I like to help my team defensively because defense wins games.”
Brown led all scorers with 22 points and senior center Gabe Gonzales added 15 for West Aurora (14-8, 8-1) in the battle for first place in the Upstate Eight West.
Jahvion Sowers scored 12 points to lead Larkin (11-13, 7-2).
Larkin coach Deryn Carter didn’t dwell on West Aurora’s 36-6 edge in attempted free throws, crediting Fowler’s defensive adjustment from zone pressure to half court man-to-man with Matthews-Thomas out front with holding the Royals to single digits over the final three quarters.
“It’s tough to beat a team like that when you’re in the 30s in the fourth quarter,” Carter said.
Martinez, meanwhile, said the sophomore trio has played together since fourth grade in youth leagues and AAU since seventh grade.
“Jaden has always been that defensive player,” Martinez said. “He’s gets put on the best guard or anybody who’s a good offensive threat so he can shut them down and get rebounds.
“That first quarter, we weren’t ready. Coach Fowler told us we needed to lock in.”
Fowler credited assistant coach Jabari Harrell with helping Matthews-Thomas develop.
“He’s a sophomore and makes some mistakes,” Fowler said. “But (Harrell) challenged him to go out there and step his defense up. He lets Jaden know to go out, defend and you can stay on the floor. And Jaden took to it.”
Harrell pointed out that Matthews-Thomas simply has the look.
“We put him in there and you could tell he’s thinking, ‘I’m gonna shut somebody down,’” Harrell said. “You give him a little responsibility, he does whatever it takes.
“And if you work with him, talk to him, he gets it done.”
Work on the boards by Matthews-Thomas also has been impressive.
“He’s aggressive — he’s athletic,” Harrell said. “He goes up there for the boards. I don’t care if someone’s taller than him. He’s gonna use that athleticism. He’s gonna get that ball.
“He’s definitely an up-and-coming kid. I try to tell him and all of them, ‘You have to stop worrying. You guys aren’t sophomores anymore. You have enough experience now. You should be leaders. No excuses.’”
Matthews-Thomas also isn’t surprised at the trio’s success for the Blackhawks, who have won nine straight in January, buoyed by Smith’s return after Christmas from injury.
“I have faith in us,” Matthews-Thomas said. “We’re coming along, and we’re just getting better each game and every practice.”
