The Richmond Virginia high school basketball scene is known for its big men playing at high profile private schools and programs with deep basketball tradition. Schools like Trinity Episcopal, John Marshall, and Steward school.
Trinity has 6'8"Henry Coleman and 6'11" Burke Smith, John Marshall has 6'10" Roosevelt Wheeler, and Steward has 7'0" Efton Reid. These are all players you have heard of if you follow the local game. They are players you can't miss when you walk into a gym, the guys grabbing the rebounds, blocking shots, and scoring the easy baskets down low when their team needs one.
Well keeping with the mission of the Underground we have uncovered another "Big" guy "hiding in plain site". He's 6'10" and still growing! You probably have not seen him, and I'm sure you're saying right now, where does he play? Matthew Johnson is his name and he plays for Cap City Warriors, a new home school program in Richmond Virginia. Matthew is that raw talent most coaches only dream of. He has great hands, runs the floor well, rebounds, blocks shots, and scores around the rim. Matthew can even step outside and shoot the three with good accuracy. So, how can this guy go unnoticed? Its easy, when all the focus is put on the elite private schools, players like Matthew fly below the radar, but at 6'10" you can't miss him when you walk into the gym. He is as big as he is tall, with a solid college frame. As college recruiters say, "he passes the eye test".
In the last month Matthew has averaged 11 points a game and double digit rebounds. He posted 13 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots against New Christian Academy in January. These don't seem like the gaudy numbers some big guys are putting up, but what makes this interesting is he's doing this on a team filled with guards playing a 5 out offense. So Matthew steps outside and shoots the three and goes inside to do the dirty work. Matthew Johnson can only get better in the next year and he has a bright future in the game. If you are a college recruiter looking for the elusive big man for your program you have to at least take a look, because he's "hiding in plain site", and it would be a shame if you come to Richmond and don't see him play.
