Spencer Mathis Commits to Northern Colorado

Last week, Northern Colorado got a commitment from forward Spencer Mathis from the class of 2014. Mathis is listed anywhere from 6'5'' to 6'7'', but is a SF that hails from Las Vegas. Mathis picked UNC over Santa Clara, Cal State Fullerton, Idaho State, and Southern Utah, per Nevada Preps.

“UNC recruited me the hardest through this process, and the coaching staff is unbelieveable,” Mathis said. “They told me I will get better, and I honestly believe them. I believe I will grow as an individual and get better as a player just by the coaching staff.”

Last season, Mathis averaged 15.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG. Here is the ESPN scouting report on him:

Strengths:
Mathis caught our eye with an ideal frame that should fill out nicely for the next level. He has long arms and overall good length. The most impressive aspect of his game is his evolving skill set. He exhibited a high basketball IQ with his passing and his jump shot looked smooth. He gets nice lift on his shot and his range is solid.

Weaknesses:
Mathis is a solid athlete but not elite. He needs to continue to improve his ball handling against pressure, especially going left. In addition, he needs to get stronger while defending physical wing-types.

Bottom Line:
Mathis is a solid looking prospect for the next level. It will be interesting to see how his frame and overall game develop during the regular season as he tries to shed the sleeper tag.

The Bears will lose a lot of experience after this season, making their 2014 recruiting class a very important one. I'm not sure that Mathis has the ability to step in and be an impact player from day one, but certainly he is a guy that looks like he will develop and being a solid rotational player as he gets experience. He is a nice addition for the Bears, especially with his shooting ability.

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