Michigan Basketball: Why Charles Matthews won’t return next season

Charles Matthews will make the jump to the NBA and will not return to Michigan Basketball for another year, here’s why.

Charles Matthews was a blessing to Michigan fans when he transferred from Kentucky. Last year, Matthews declared for the draft but didn’t hire an agent, allowing him the option to return. He did and has a similar decision as Michigan Basketball’s season winds down.

Coming out of Chicago, Illinois, Matthews was ranked second in the state and the 16th ranked shooting guard in the county, ranking 60th overall. Despite being such a highly touted recruit, Charles’ playing time was limited his freshman year in Lexington, likely sealing his decision to transfer up north.

While he had a breakout season his first year on the court for the Wolverines, he hasn’t made much progress since.

Outside of the recent ankle injury, Matthews minutes are up but his production this season is lacking. His points per game went from 13 to 12.8, his field goal percentage is down, and his assists declined from 2.4 to 1.4.

On a positive note, Matthews free throw percentage went from .558 to .641, and his personal fouls and turnovers are down. Will his improvements make up for his decline?

What Matthews does have to consider is the 2019 NBA draft is saturated with players just like him. Thinner small forwards will be the theme this year; however, no one is showing Matthews draft love.

Draftsite.com doesn’t list Matthews on their site, but two other Michigan basketball stars, Iggy Brazdeikis, and Jordan Poole were both predicted to enter the NBA as first-round draft picks.

NBADraft.net doesn’t list anyone from the Maize and Blue on their board.

While the “experts” failed to list Matthews as a draft pick, the Twitter world believes Matthews will be leaving for the pros.

https://twitter.com/MattHelmkamp/status/1100549249710854145

Remember, if it’s on Twitter it must be true.

Could he return?

It is possible he could make a return but it is highly unlikely.

Really, the only scenario for Charles to stick around lands solely on how Michigan Basketball ends their season. Should the Wolverines make another deep run in the tournament but fail reach the championship, Matthews may feel the need to return to complete some unfinished business.

If he does come back and wants to ensure a first-round selection, Matthews will have to work on his shooting game and morph into a more complete player like some of his teammates have done.

For example, Zavier Simpson realized his natural vertical deficiencies and developed an impressive hook shot.

Following the departure of Duncan Robinson and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Isaiah Livers observed a lack of three-point shooters and stepped up to the plate.

So, when Matthews does return from his injury, he will have to really wow some NBA scouts if he wants a multi-million dollar contract next season. The Kobe Bryant-esque fade away is his main, if only, impressive talent Matthews has shown so far.

Charles Matthews will not return for his final season

At the end of the day, there’s always the NBA G-League where Matthews can show off his moves against NBA type talent.

Also, the season isn’t over yet. Michigan could make a championship run and if Matthews plays a big part, he could start showing up on mock drafts and eventually into an NBA teams’ rotation.

While there is a bit of hope for a return, as it stands today, fans and experts alike are saying Matthews is leaving.