Zach Mathison — Carrying the North With Him

There are easier places in Canada to chase a basketball dream than the Northwest Territories, and Zach Mathison understood that if he wanted to see how far the game could take him, eventually he would have to leave home. Growing up in the North meant fewer games, practices, and open gyms, and fewer opportunities to compete against the level of players he would eventually see regularly at Nationals.

“I think it's a lot harder to become at the same level as these guys that are at Nationals right now,” Mathison said. “There was no other way I was going to be able to keep up with these guys if I didn't go and join them where they were playing.”

That decision eventually took Mathison to Edge Prep, giving him the competition he was looking for but requiring him to leave his family and friends behind. He recalls that the hardest part of the move was leaving his family and friends behind, but once he arrived, he quickly saw why it was necessary. The biggest adjustment was the size and athleticism around him. Guards were faster, players were bigger, and Mathison had to learn how to be effective when the physical advantages he may have previously had were no longer there. He is still working on getting bigger and stronger himself, but that daily competition has forced other areas of his game to grow.

Defensively, Mathison believes Edge has made a major difference. Playing against quicker guards has improved his positioning and taught him how to stay connected rather than simply relying on athletic ability. That growth showed at Nationals, where Mathison averaged 3.0 steals per game, second-best in the tournament. More importantly, his production showed that his game could translate when he was put on the floor with some of the best players his age in the country.

Mathison averaged 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists while playing 38.8 minutes per game for NWT. He finished fourth at Nationals in scoring, third in assists, seventh in rebounding and second in steals, an impressive all-around tournament for a guard coming from one of Canada's smallest basketball jurisdictions. The scoring gets your attention, but the rebounding, playmaking and defensive production are what make his tournament especially interesting for coaches. Mathison found several ways to influence games rather than relying on a single skill.

His basketball IQ is another part of his game that has grown as the competition has improved. Mathison talks about needing “solutions” when a defence takes something away, whether that's pulling the ball back against a trap or finding a big over-the-top. That approach showed in the balance between his scoring and playmaking at Nationals. When asked what a coach can count on when his shot isn't falling,

Mathison's answer was equally simple: “Make the right decision, trust my teammates and make the right pass.”

There is still development ahead. Mathison knows the physical side of his game needs to continue growing, while becoming more consistent from three after shooting 32 percent at Nationals would add another dimension offensively. But there is plenty here for coaches to like. He has produced against national competition, competes defensively, rebounds extremely well for a guard and has shown he can create for others while carrying a significant scoring responsibility. With continued development at Edge, Mathison has the makings of a very good prospect and should be a player coaches are tracking.

What makes Mathison's story different, though, is everything it took to reach this point. He knew that staying comfortable wouldn't close the gap, so he left his family and friends and went somewhere that would expose the weaknesses in his game. Now he gets to bring that experience back when he puts Northwest Territories across his chest, something he takes seriously because he knows younger players back home are watching.

“My goal has been to just inspire the next generation out of the Northwest Territories,” Mathison said. “Show them they can do the same thing that I'm doing, and even better if they really put their mind to it. It's a pride thing.”

For coaches, Mathison's performance at Nationals provides plenty to evaluate. For basketball in the Northwest Territories, his journey means something more. A kid from the North went looking for better competition, found it, and came back to finish among the national leaders in points, assists, rebounds and steals. Now the next kid growing up in the Territories has something Zach Mathison didn't always have: a path they can see.