The complexion of University of Rhode Island, not to mention the Atlantic 10, is about to undergo a radical change.
The school announced Saturday afternoon that junior guard E.C. Matthews will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a right knee injury in the first half of Friday night’s season-opener vs. American.
Matthews was helped off the court and underwent a battery of tests with team medical personnel on Saturday.
Below is a school-released statement from Matthews.
The injury I sustained on Friday night vs. American will unfortunately keep me from playing the rest of this season. While the news has been a lot to process in such a short period of time, I know that it is a temporary setback and I will be back stronger and hungrier than ever before. Whether it is a rehab or physical therapy session, I will fight to get better everyday. This is a new challenge and I am up for it.
I plan on using this setback as an opportunity to continue to grow as a student, a leader, and a man. I will be at every study hall, every practice, every film session, every game – no different than before.
I will need my brothers – my teammates and coaches – to help me through this. And I want them to know how much I love them and I will be there for anything they need. I understand the challenge of this journey and I am built to conquer this obstacle.
Most of all, I want to say to our most loyal Rhody fans – our students and all those who support us day-in and day-out – I want to see you all here at the Ryan Center. Starting with our game with Valpo on Tuesday, be here and be loud. Get behind our team like never before – we haven’t stopped our HUNT.
Matthews, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, has received attention from NBA scouts going back to last season and is currently slotted as the 53rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
With Matthews, Rhode Island was a popular pick to win the Atlantic 10 under head coach Dan Hurley. The Rams have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1999 when Lamar Odom led them to their first and only A-10 Tournament crown.
