By JACOB POLACHECK
Emmitt Matthews Jr., the 6-foot-6 small forward from Wilson (WA) High School, de-committed from UConn on Wednesday following the firing of head coach Kevin Ollie earlier this month. He has received his release from his NLI per Corey Evans.
“After long discussions with my family over the past days, it is in my best interest to de-commit from UConn and explore other options,” said Matthews in a statement released via Twitter.
Earlier this month, UConn named Dan Hurley as head coach. He signed a six-year deal, with a compensation of $2.75 million in the first season.
“I’d like to thank Coach Ollie, Coach [Raphael] Chillious, and the rest of the staff for recruiting me to such a prestigious program, as well as building such a close relationship with my family,” said Matthews. “I’d also like to thank UConn for granting my release from my NLI. I am NOT closing the door on UConn basketball and I wish nothing but the best for Coach Hurley and the new staff moving forward.”
Matthews is the second recruit to de-commit from UConn following the firing of Ollie. Earlier this month, James Akinjo announced his de-commitment from the Huskies. According to 247Sports, Matthews is ranked as the No. 163 overall player in the Class of 2018 and the No. 3 player from the state of Washington. Prior to his UConn commitment, Matthews held offers from schools such as Boise State, Georgetown, Montana, Oregon State, Seton Hall, Washington, and West Virginia, among others. Follow Jacob on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And like ZAGS on Facebook