Bennedict Mathurin is a 6-foot-7 shooting guard/small forward for the Arizona Wildcats. The Montreal native, who is part of the new wave of Quebec basketball talent, played a big part with Arizona playing 25 minutes per game in his lone season with the Wildcats. He took an unusual route into the NBA, first going to NBA Academy in Latin America and becoming a four-star prospect before entering college according to Aaron Rose of Sports Illustrated.
Bennedict Mathurin 2021 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Mathurin averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game with the Wildcats. As a result, he had the fourth-highest points per game with the Wildcats and was tied for the third-most rebounds per game with the Wildcats. He was also second on the team in free throw and three-point percentage.
He made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2021. Two of his most notable games were seen earlier this year. On January 2, Mathurin had 24 points and 11 rebounds in an 86-82 win over Washington State.
https://twitter.com/UofABarstool/status/1349947516800933891
Then 12 days later, he had 31 points and eight rebounds in a 98-64 win over Oregon State. He really played well for Arizona and according to North Pole Hoops last year, he is the number one prospect in Canada.
Strengths
Mathurin is an explosive athlete, who can score from all three levels of the court according to Arizona Sports Zone. He can also make the best decisions off the dribble and has shown an ability to keep the defense honest. Mathurin also has the potential to be a good defensive player. He has the athleticism, versatility, and length on that side of the floor. Most impressive was his free throw percentage, which was at 84.6 percent. This was one of the weaknesses that Mathurin had in his game according to Pro Insight in 2019. He also had a field goal percentage of 47.1 percent and a 41.8 three-point percentage, which highlights his offensive efficiency.
Weaknesses
One of his biggest weaknesses is his lack of strength. He needs to get stronger to unlock his potential defensively in the NBA. Mathurin is also not yet a great defensive player as he has a low defensive rating according to Tankathon. He also has trouble driving and finishing at the rim according to Mike Luciano of Raptors Rapture. This weakness might prevent Mathurin from becoming a starter if he does not improve his game.
NBA Player Comparison
RECORD. BROKEN.
Klay Thompson hits his 14th three of the night 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pmcSmXnUTV
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 30, 2018
Klay Thompson. While this is not saying that Mathurin will become like Thompson, there are similarities between the two players. One is that both players have good offensive efficiency and shooting percentage from the three-point, field goal, and free throw line. Also, B.W. Hendricks of Roll Call Sports cited Thompson as an elite defender and is one of the greatest off-ball players in NBA history. Mathurin is also not much of a passer, but he has shown moments of brilliance in defense for the Wildcats. It is a game he could bring to the NBA as he works on his game for future years to come.
NBA Draft Prediction
Early to mid-second round pick.
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