Wednesday, June 14, 2017
FARMINGTON -- Coming into Matt Wilson's senior year, the team dynamic changed when classmate Matt Thomas transferred to Pea Ridge, leaving Wilson and Cade Fenton as the only returning starters.
"One thing we focussed on in the summer was building trust," Wilson said.
BIO INFORMATION
Matt Wilson
Parents: Bobby and Dawn Wilson, of Farmington
Sibling: Lindsay Wilson, 23
School: Farmington
Sport: Basketball
Height: 6-2
Weight: 165 pounds
GPA: 3.4
Bench Press: 240 pounds
Favorite Subject: History
Favorite Shot: 3-pointer
Favorite move: Hesitation, crossover dribble
Career goals: Develop basketball game at Delta State and play professionally overseas.
Motto: “What I try to live by is: trying to leave the earth better than what I found it.”
Notable: Averaged 18 points and 5.5 rebounds-per-game as junior, selected as 2017 Arkansas All-Star.
Delta State At A Glance
Four-Year Public University
Location: Cleveland, Miss.
Enrollment: 3,700 (2014)
Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
Nickname: The Statesmen
Degree Programs: Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral, Specialist
Est.: 1924 By Legislative Act
Tuition: $6,012-per-year
Residence Halls: $3,748 - $4,642
Dining Plans: $1,050 - $2,850
Notable Programs: Aviation, Delta Music Institute, Outdoor Recreation Education, Geospatial Information Technology
Men’s Basketball Head: Coach Jim Boone (501-378)
2015-16 Record: 19-11
Conference: Gulf South
Distance From Farmington: 366 miles
Drive time: Six hours from Farmington
The result was a 20-win season with victories over 7A schools and key wins over 6A foes in a blended 6A/5A District 1.
"They always trusted me even when I wasn't making it," Wilson said. "I think trust was a big part of it. I always trusted them."
Wilson lit up 6A Siloam Springs for a school-record 49 points early in January, then bested his own mark with a 50-point performance against 5A West rival Clarksville, both wins for the Cardinals.
"That would be my favorite memory from this season, breaking the record twice, and how excited my teammates were for me," Wilson said. "Those nine seniors, we all have been together since seventh grade. It was nice to be all together with them to make memories together."
Wilson's numbers for 27 games, display strong all-around contributions with 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.7 steals, 0.2 blocks, 3.4 turnovers, and 2.1 fouls-per-game. His shooting statistics for 27 games are solid, showing: 273 field goals made out of 540 field goal attemps, which translates into 51 percent field-goal shooting. Those numbers break down as 85 3-point field goals made out of 227 3-point field goal attempts for a 37 percent 3-point field-goal shooting percentage, 188 field goals made from 2-point range out of 313 2-point field goals attempted for a 60 percent 2-point field-goal shooting percentage, and 154 free throws made out of 203 free throws attempted for 76 percent free-throw shooting. He scored 805 points for the year, averaging 28.8 points-per-game through 28 games. Wilson might have hit 1,000 points for the season if the Cardinals could have qualified for state, which would have resulted in at least three more games.
Farmington coach Beau Thompson recently submitted Wilson's achievements in 11 different categories to the Arkansas Activities Association.
"There was 11 times this season he could get in the record books," Thompson said. "To do that, 11 categories for one season, that's pretty impressive."
Sports on 06/14/2017