Former Dayton Flyers guard Jhery Matos commits to Charlotte 49ers
The replenishment of Charlotte’s basketball roster got underway Wednesday when graduate transfer Jhery Matos committed to the 49ers.
Matos, a 6-foot-5 guard, played the last two seasons at Dayton, averaging 8.6 minutes and 1.8 points for a Flyers team that went 29-2 last season and featured the national player of the year in Obi Toppin and national coach of the year in Anthony Grant.
Matos, who made his announcement on Twitter, has one year of eligibility remaining and as a grad transfer will be able to play for Charlotte next season.
Matos played the first two seasons of his college career at junior college programs Eastern Florida State and New York’s Monroe College before transferring to Dayton in 2018. Matos only played six games in the 2018-19 season, missing the majority of the season with a toe injury.
Like 49ers coach Ron Sanchez, Matos is a native of the Dominican Republic and has played for the country’s under-19 national team. He’s also trained with the Dominican’s full national team, for which Sanchez has been an assistant coach. Matos played high school ball at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Fla.
The 49ers have been hit hard recently by players entering the NCAA’s transfer portal, losing guards Malik Martin (to Rhode Island), Cooper Robb (Eastern Kentucky) and Tyler Bertram (Binghamton) over the last few weeks. Another guard, Brandon Younger, left the team in January.
Matos told the Dayton Daily News that he had spoken with Grant about his chances of getting more playing time next season.
“I know I’ve got to earn things, but I needed to hear what there was out there for me,” Matos told the newspaper. “ I want to prove I’m an offensive and defensive player, but to do that I need to be able to get in the rhythm of the game and play more than just a couple of minutes.
“I understand Coach was doing what’s best for the team and I was grateful to be a part of that and do what I could, but I just want a little more balance. With just one year left, I’ve got to do what’s good for Jhery Matos, too.”