Why some think Wichita State basketball found a recruiting steal in Matthew McFarlane
There’s few people who spend more time analyzing and scouting junior college basketball than Brandon Goble, who operates the @JUCOadvocate handle on Twitter with coaches across the country among his more than 28,000 followers.
Goble is convinced the Wichita State men’s basketball team snagged one of the biggest sleepers in the 2021 recruiting class on Thursday when the Shockers secured the commitment of Colby Community College’s Matthew McFarlane, a 6-foot-10 center who will have three years of eligibility at WSU.
“What he’s good at right now are things you can’t teach,” Goble said. “He’s got a good motor. He runs the floor really well for his size. His shot-blocking instincts are some of the best in the country. Those are things you can’t teach. His ceiling is maybe one of the highest in the country in regards to junior-college players.
“To put it into context, if a high school kid walked into Peach Jam and looked and played like Matt McFarlane, he’s going to Kentucky. And now he has three years at a place like Wichita State, who has great player development and resources and strength coaches. Matt could be special there.”
McFarlane was a two-year starter at Colby, where he averaged 10.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in less than 27 minutes per game this past season after averaging 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in less than 21 minutes per game in the 2019-20 season.
He was pivotal as a freshman to a historic run by Colby that saw the team win its first Jayhawk Conference regular-season championship, secure its first bid to the NJCAA national tournament and end the season with its first top-10 ranking.
“Matt is one of those rare kids who slipped through the cracks in the recruiting world,” Colby coach Rusty Elmore said. “It’s unbelievable what he’s able to do at 6-10. I’ll be honest, it was hard for me to coach him because I haven’t coached a kid who can do what he can do at 6-10. Most of the time those guys play on TV. They don’t end up in Colby, Kansas.”
It was the eye of WSU assistant coach Lou Gudino who spotted McFarlane in a game last season in Hutchinson. Ever since then, Gudino has been steady in his recruitment of the big man, a persistence that paid off when McFarlane choose WSU over Loyola Chicago, South Carolina, St. John’s, Arizona State and Colorado when his recruitment intensified this spring.
Goble believes in a non-pandemic year, McFarlane would have attracted more high-major teams. McFarlane and Colby were only able to play 15 disjointed games this season, as the team was shut down five separate times for COVID-19 quarantines.
“With the transfer portal going crazy right now, the juco guys are getting overlooked,” Goble said. “The smart teams are going out there and stealing a player that normally they wouldn’t be able to get. Because if you don’t put in the energy and effort to recruit the junior-college level, then you are going to miss out on guys like (McFarlane). It helps when you have someone in tune with the junior college world like Lou Gudino.”
After speaking with WSU head coach Isaac Brown this week, McFarlane was sold on coming to Wichita. He was impressed by the AAC title and NCAA Tournament berth in Brown’s first season and believes he can help win more games for the Shockers in the near future — hopefully in front of 10,506 fans at Koch Arena.
“I’m really excited about being a Shocker,” McFarlane said. “I can’t wait to play in front of their crowd. I like playing in front of big crowds. I think it brings more energy to me and helps me raised my game even more. I just need to hear the noise.
“As for (Brown), I felt like he was a real energy coach. I feel like he’s the same type of coach as Rusty Elmore. He gives off the same vibes. He made me feel more than welcome when I was talking to him on the phone.”
McFarlane won’t have the pressure of needing to be special right away at WSU. Instead, he’ll be part of the rotation at center with incumbent starter Morris Udeze. It’s a role that WSU coaches think McFarlane can thrive in, as his height, 7-foot wingspan and athleticism could translate immediately to upgraded rim protection and defensive rebounding — two areas of need for WSU against American Athletic Conference competition.
Not only is McFarlane equipped with the tools, but he also has superb natural instincts when it comes to sniffing out blocks and steals. Whether it’s jumping the passing lane on an entry pass or coming over to swat the shot away of an unsuspecting guard, McFarlane can do it. Colby even trusted him to straight-up switch onto guards in ball screens last season.
“He could defend the guards just as well as the guards could,” Elmore said. “He has really quick feet and he’s super long, so he just has a presence out there on the court. He makes it tough for teams to drive in there when he’s next to the rim.
“And then rebounding is an area where Matt really improved on this past season. He can go rebound out of his area now. Last year he was kind of stationary. But now he’s able to go and get balls.”
Like many shot-blockers, foul trouble has been a concern throughout his career and will be an ongoing battle at WSU. He can dribble and shoot better than most 6-10 players, but he runs into trouble when he tries to do too much on offense. At his finest, McFarlane is capable of making a flashy move or pass. But he shot just 2 for 15 on three-pointers and finished with 18 assists and 78 turnovers in two seasons at Colby, which show his decision-making is still a work in progress.
Even without those skills fully developed, McFarlane brings enough to contribute right away for the Shockers. While he is a capable rim runner and shown the ability to score over either shoulder on the low blocks, McFarlane’s biggest weapon on offense might be his 15-foot jump shot.
If McFarlane proves to be as consistent of a jump shooter he was at Colby, then he will draw opposing centers further away from the rim to open up driving lanes for WSU’s guards. It also makes him a dangerous weapon when setting a ball screen, as he is a capable rim runner to go along with the ability to short roll into open space for a 15-foot jumper.
“That mid-range game is really sets him apart,” Goble said. “I think he’ll be able to contribute immediately and the question is going to be how much. That’s the exciting thing. We don’t know what his ceiling looks like. He still has so many things that he’s still working on and adding to his game. Because he can do some unique things with his length and shot-blocking instincts, he’s going to be able to play right away for Wichita State and help them right away. I’m excited to see what’s next for him because I think he could be pretty special.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 5:13 AM.
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