Prospect Spotlight: Matthew Levis (2019 Jesuit HS)
Photo Credit: Matt Singledecker, Beaverton Valley Times Jesuit is back on top of the Metro League this season and while there’s no doubt the seniors have led the way for the Crusaders, there’s a junior who has been right there…
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Continue ReadingPhoto Credit: Matt Singledecker, Beaverton Valley Times
Jesuit is back on top of the Metro League this season and while there’s no doubt the seniors have led the way for the Crusaders, there’s a junior who has been right there as a major contributor. Matthew Levis has been a critical piece of the Jesuit machine and the 6-foot guard certainly made his presence felt in the team’s recent win over Sunset. It was his steal and bucket in the fourth quarter that broke a tie and helped shift the momentum Jesuit’s way as the Crusaders went on to win and capture first place in the league standings.
“There’s nothing that would describe the feeling we had coming into this game,” Levis said. “In the locker room before and the whole week leading up to it, it was nothing but Sunset, Sunset, Sunset. We were so focused and we knew there was something we had to get. We knew what we had to do and we knew we had to lock down.”
For Levis, the game was a way of breaking out of a cold spell. While his work on D has never stopped, his role as the team’s third scorer after seniors Justin Bieker and Aiden Williams had taken a bit of a dip. “I was definitely in a little bit of a slump there,” Levis said. “Not so much defensively but offensively I couldn’t make a few shots and I started slowing down and I think the team kind of felt that too.”
For the game, Levis ended up with seven points and he’s hopeful the shots continue to fall moving forward. He worked on his overall game this past spring and summer with International Elite AAU and as a result of their play on the 16U circuit, he picked up some early college interest. Levis is currently hearing from UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Eastern Washington, Seattle University, and Portland State, and is also hopeful for even more.
“I want a good coach, first and foremost,” Levis said. “Gene (Potter) is such a great coach and he’s taken me under his wing the past couple of years on varsity and he’s really helped guide me through this program and so in college, if I can find a coach like him, I’d love to play under him. But right now I’m open to anything – I certainly wouldn’t turn down a walk-on (opportunity) at a WCC school.”
With another round with International Elite on the adidas Silver Circuit to go, Levis certainly isn’t putting the future in front of the present. There are still games left to play this season and in his mind, a ‘ship available to win.
“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves but post-season wise, we’re so excited,” Levis said. “We know that this team has so much potential. We played the best defense we did all year (against Sunset) and we know if we can combine that with an excellent shooting night, I’d like to see a team in the state that could stop us.”
Levis currently ranks as the #55 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.