A Blountstown native who finished his high school career at Florida High School in Tallahassee, playing at Florida State seemed part of Mike Mathews’ destiny. At 6’10” with long arms and range on his jump-shot, Mathews would help FSU go from ACC doormat to respectability over his five years with the program.
Mathews spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia before coming to FSU in 1999. After sitting for the 1999-2000 season, Mathews finally got a chance to show what he could do during the 2000-01 season. That year, Mathews averaged better than 7 points-per-game and scored in double-figures nine times including an 11-point, 4-rebound, 3-blocked shots effort in a 74-71 upset of No. 3 Maryland in College Park.
“The game that probably stands out the most is when we played Maryland at Maryland on Valentine’s Day,” Mathews said. “They had guys like Terence Morris, Chris Wilcox, Juan Dixon, Stevie Blake, Lonnie Baxter – all these games played in the NBA – but we had a game plan. Everything we did worked to a tee. After the game, we were so tired we couldn’t celebrate.”
Maryland would go on to reach the Final Four that season and win the national championship the next.
Mathews ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in blocked shots in his first two seasons under head coach Steve Robinson, but the team went just a combined 21-38. Following the 2001-02 season, Mathews would have to get used to playing for a new head coach — Leonard Hamilton. Mathews said the two coaches had a vastly different demeanor and style.
“Coach Robinson was more laid back. When you messed up, Coach Robinson would let you know it just in a different way than Coach Hamilton would,” Mathews said. “Coach Hamilton wasn’t scared to curse you out. I don’t think I ever heard Coach Robinson say a cuss word. Coach Hamilton had a way of making sure you didn’t make that mistake again.
“He challenges your toughness every day. He’s going to expect 100 percent maximum effort every time you go out on the court even in practice,” Mathews said of Hamilton. “He always expressed academics and he held the team accountable. He would always sit us down in film sessions. Coach Hamilton and Coach (Stan) Jones would always point out so much more like technique.”
In his first season playing under Hamilton, Mathews shot a career-high 50 percent from the field. Late that season, Mathews had a career-game on one of basketball’s grandest stages. In a 72-56 loss to No. 10 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Mathews scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting and finished with four blocks.
“I always liked playing in Cameron,” Mathews said. “I grew up watching the great Duke teams. It always brought up a level of excitement and adrenaline playing in that place.”
Mathews said he spent much of the contest matched up with Duke center Casey Sanders, a Tampa product, who he had success against in high school.
“I really felt like Casey Sanders couldn’t stop me,” Mathews said. “I felt that I could have scored 30 because I missed a couple free throws and some shots I thought I could have made, but at the end of the day, 18 points at Cameron Indoor is a great game.”
As a senior for the 2003-04 season, Mathews helped Florida State notch its first winning season in five years. The team was led by senior guard Tim Pickett, but had three other future NBA Draft picks in Al Thornton, Von Wafer and Alexander Johnson. That year, the Seminoles pulled upsets over Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest and eventual national runner-up Georgia Tech.
One more victory that season would have likely landed FSU in the NCAA Tournament, but the Seminoles settled for the NIT, finishing the year 19-14. Florida State has had just one losing season since. Mathews said that was the team that changed the direction of FSU basketball.
“We were a part of something that started a trend of FSU playing winning basketball,” he said. “That was our first time going to postseason since ‘98. We felt that we could make the NCAA Tournament, but even though we came up short and played in the NIT, we still felt that was good year for us. We had four guys play in the NBA from that team so that just goes to show how tough the ACC was.”
Since graduating from Florida State with a degree in Sports Management, Mathews has managed to make a living around the game of basketball. Mathews played abroad in Iceland, Uruguay and Colombia and helped his team win championships in Iceland and Colombia. From there, Mathews became a Harlem Globetrotter and went on world tours in 2007 and 2008, visiting over 50 countries during that stretch.
Today, Mathews lives in Mount Vernon, New York and runs an AAU basketball organization for children ages 9-15. After working with other AAU organizations, Mathews started the program called Hoop Strong Warriors over a year ago. Mathews said his organization has eight teams and he does everything from overseeing the organization’s business practices to mentoring to coaching.
“My first year, we won a Division II AAU championship down at Disney World,” Mathews said. “We sent three teams to nationals this year. These boys are getting basketball all year round. We have kids from Westchester County to Connecticut all the way to New York City.”
Mathews is also an assistant coach at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York where he is helping mold Jordan Tucker — one the nation’s top 40 players for the class of 2017. In his free time, Mathews enjoys playing the drums and his bass guitar.
In addition to being a Seminole, Globetrotter, music lover, director and coach, Mathews is also a father. Mathews has a 10-year-old daughter named Taylor and a 15-year-old stepdaughter named Winter Wilson, who he is very close to.
Despite being in New York, Mathews said he remains close to FSU. Mathews said he’s still in contact with Robinson, his former head coach and current FSU assistant Stan Jones.
“I’ve had a lot of success,” Mathews said. “I love Florida State and I try to get back for sporting events every year.”
Click here to visit Hoop Strong Warriors’ website.
