Thunder Draft: Ben Mathurin Stock Rises

Bennedict Mathurin wasn’t ready for his season to end.

With time ticking down in No. 1-seed Arizona’s Round of 32 matchup with No. 9-seed TCU, the Wildcats trailed 75-72.

A TCU layup from Eddie Lampkin forced Arizona’s hand, they had to make a 3-point shot to force overtime. The Wildcats turned to their star sophomore guard, Mathurin, and he lived up to the task.

With 14 seconds left he buried a deep, contested 3-point basket to tie the game. The game would go to overtime and the Wildcats would advance to the Sweet 16 and will play Houston on Thursday.

"Benn's not afraid of the moment," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. "He's a special player who has an ability to raise it up another level when needed, and he has that clutch gene.”

Whenever, Arizona’s season ends between the Sweet 16 and the end of the NCAA Tournament, Mauthurin’s collegiate career is expected to end also. Mathurin is a projected top 10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Mauthrin has raked in the awards with the Wildcats. He was named to the Pac-12 First team All-Freshman team in 2020-21 and improved upon that award this season. This year Mathurin was tabbed as First team All-Pac-12 and the Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Mathurin averaged nearly 18 points per game sitting at 17.8 and 5.7 rebounds per game. Mathurin was also efficient with his scoring, shooting 45.5% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.

For his career he’s averaging 14.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, 46% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range.

While OKC’s guard room is deep, Mathurin provides the 3-point ability the Thunder need to improve. Mathurin, much like current OKC guards possess the innate ability to create their own shots in traffic and can score at all three levels.

Mathurin stands at 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds and has the athleticism to fit his size. His quick first step and downhill ability make him a viable top 10 selection, a spot the Thunder are all but locked into.

While the Thunder’s main targets will most likely be interior help, if Sam Presti decides a guard is more suitable Mathurin provides an eye opening skillset.

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