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Bennedict Mathurin

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Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin with Arizona in 2021
No. 00 – Indiana Pacers
PositionShooting guard / small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-06-19) June 19, 2002 (age 22)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
CollegeArizona (2020–2022)
NBA draft2022: 1st round, 6th overall pick
Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–presentIndiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Canada
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Latvia Team

Bennedict Richard Felder Mathurin (/ˈmæθərɪn/ MATH-ər-in,[1] French: [matyʁɛ̃];[2] born June 19, 2002) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year after his sophomore season. He was selected by the Pacers with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2023 and finished fourth in voting for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award.[3]

Early life and career

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Mathurin is a native of Montreal, Quebec and is of Haitian descent.[4] He grew up playing ice hockey and Canadian football as a quarterback.[5] He competed for the Quebec provincial basketball team.[6] In 2018, Mathurin joined the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City, becoming its first Canadian-born player.[7] He committed to playing college basketball for Arizona, choosing the Wildcats over Baylor.[8] He was considered the best Canadian prospect in his class by North Pole Hoops.[9]

College career

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On January 2, 2021, Mathurin posted 24 points and 11 rebounds in an 86–82 win over Washington State.[10] On January 14, he recorded 31 points and eight rebounds in a 98–64 win over Oregon State.[11] Mathurin averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 41.8 percent from three-point range. Despite gaining interest as a draft prospect, he decided to return for his sophomore season.[12] On December 11, 2021, Mathurin scored 30 points in a 83–79 win against Illinois.[13] Mathurin won the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player after leading the Wildcats to their eighth conference tournament title. He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, the ninth player in Arizona Wildcats history to do so.[14] Following his Sophomore season, Mathurin was voted a consensus second-team All-American, the fifth in Wildcat to make second team and thirtieth All-American in school history.[15] By winning conference player of the year he became the 31st Arizona Wildcat men's basketball player to have his name put into the school's Ring of Honor.[16]

On April 14, 2022, Mathurin declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[17][18]

Professional career

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Indiana Pacers (2022–present)

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2022–23 season: All–Rookie First Team honors

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Mathurin was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022 NBA draft. He is the first ever player from Montreal to be selected as a lottery pick. He joined the seventh overall pick, Shaedon Sharpe, as the only Canadians drafted in the first round that year. Mathurin was the Pacers' highest pick the franchise has owned since selecting Rik Smits second overall in the 1988 NBA draft.[19] On July 3, 2022, Mathurin signed his rookie contract with the Pacers.[20] On July 8, he made his NBA Summer League debut, recording 23 points and four rebounds in a 96–84 win over the Charlotte Hornets.[21] Ten days later, Mathurin was named to the All–NBA Summer League Second Team, averaging 19.3 points, 4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.[22]

On October 19, Mathurin made his regular season debut coming off the bench, recording 19 points in a 114–107 loss to the Washington Wizards.[23] He would follow that performance, by scoring 26 points against Jeremy Sochan and the San Antonio Spurs on October 21,[24] and 27 points against Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons on October 22.[25] His 72 points through the first three games of the season was the most by a rookie since Jerry Stackhouse scored 76 to start off the 1995–96 NBA season.[26] On October 26, he became the first Pacer to score 100–plus points through their first five career games.[27] On October 29, Mathurin set a career high with 32 points on 6–of–9 three-point shooting, and five rebounds in a 125–116 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[28] On November 9, Mathurin recorded 30 points on 10–of–17 shooting from the field, and 6–of–9 shooting from three in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.[29] On December 1, Mathurin was named Eastern Conference Kia Rookie of the Month, averaging 19.2 points, 4 rebounds, on 40.3% three-point shooting.[30]

On January 31, 2023, Mathurin was named a 2023 NBA Rising Star alongside standout rookie teammate Andrew Nembhard.[31] On February 13, after scoring 21 points against the Utah Jazz, Mathurin became the fastest Pacer rookie since Chuck Person in the 1986–87 season to reach 1,000 career points.[32] With the Pacers dropping out of playoff contention, Mathurin became a starter over the last 10 games of his rookie season.[33][34] On March 28, as a starter against the Milwaukee Bucks, Mathurin recorded 29 points and a career-high 9 rebounds, while passing teammate Chris Duarte for most three-pointers made as a rookie in Pacers franchise history.[35][36] At the 2022–23 season's end, he finished fourth in the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting[37] and earned NBA All–Rookie First Team honors.[38]

2023–24 season: Season–ending shoulder injury

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On November 8, 2023, Mathurin recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, along with 4 threes made in a win against the Utah Jazz. On November 9, the next day, he scored 26 points to go along with a 11 rebounds, a steal, and a block in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

On February 17, 2024, Mathurin was named MVP of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars Challenge (as part of NBA All–Star Weekend), which was played in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He notably scored 22 total points in the Rising Stars tournament and helped lead Team Jalen to a Rising Stars championship.[39] On March 9, Mathurin was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, an injury which required surgery. He missed the remainder of the 2023–24 season.[40] Despite Mathurin's injury the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

2024–25 season

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On November 10, 2024, Mathurin put up a career-high 38 points with 7-of-8 three-pointers made in a 132–121 win over the New York Knicks. He and Tyrese Haliburton became the first duo to each score at least 35 points in a game in Pacers franchise history.[41]

National team career

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Mathurin played for Canada at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Riga and Daugavpils, Latvia after being cut from the Olympic team.[42] On July 4, 2021, he scored a team-high 30 points, shooting 11–of–15 from the field and 6–of–9 from three-point range, in a 100–75 group-stage win over Japan.[43] One week later, Mathurin scored 31 points to lead Canada to a 101–92 victory over Serbia in the third–place game and win the bronze medal.[44] He averaged 16.1 points and four rebounds per game in the tournament.[45]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23 Indiana 78 17 28.5 .434 .323 .828 4.1 1.5 .6 .2 16.7
2023–24 Indiana 59 19 26.1 .446 .374 .821 4.0 2.0 .6 .2 14.5
Career 137 36 27.5 .439 .344 .826 4.0 1.7 .6 .2 15.8

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Arizona 26 12 25.0 .471 .418 .846 4.8 1.2 .7 .1 10.8
2021–22 Arizona 37 37 32.5 .450 .369 .764 5.6 2.5 1.0 .3 17.7
Career 63 49 29.4 .456 .383 .789 5.3 2.0 .9 .2 14.8

Personal life

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Mathurin is of Haitian descent.[46] His older sister, Jennifer, played college basketball for NC State.[7] When Mathurin was 12 years old, his 15–year–old brother died in a bicycle accident. He speaks English, French, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Pretty much something that I want to be in…" - Relive Game 1 through the eyes of Bennedict Mathurin. NBA. June 3, 2023 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ TSN Original: For All of Us. TSN. October 15, 2022. Event occurs at 00:02:08 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ "2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie teams". NBA.com.
  4. ^ Dopirak, Dustin. "Insider: Meet the Bennedict Mathurin you don't see on the court". The Indianapolis Star.
  5. ^ a b Pascoe, Bruce (April 26, 2020). "With late brother as both memory and motivation, Arizona Wildcats commit Bennedict Mathurin charts course for basketball future". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Rose, Aaron (April 29, 2020). "Mathurin, Prosper pioneers at NBA Academy". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Holmes, C. J. (May 3, 2020). "The evolution of Ben Mathurin, and an inside look at the NBA academies". The Athletic. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Pascoe, Bruce (January 16, 2020). "Arizona Wildcats basketball lands commitment from Ben Mathurin". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  9. ^ Sbiet, Elias (January 16, 2020). "Bennedict Mathurin Commits to Arizona, Canadian NBA Prospect For The Wildcats". North Pole Hoops. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Kelapire, Ryan (January 15, 2021). "Freshman Bennedict Mathurin quickly becoming a star at Arizona". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Pascoe, Bruce (January 16, 2021). "Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin is developing into a 'special player,' and more attention is coming". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Pedersen, Brian (April 23, 2021). "Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin to return for sophomore season". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "Wildcats G Bennedict Mathurin drops 30 points in Arizona's win at Illinois". Arizona Sports. Associated Press. December 11, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  14. ^ "2021-22 Pac-12 Men's Basketball All-Conference honors and Annual Performance Awards, presented by Nextiva" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  15. ^ "2022-23 Arizona Wildcat Basketball Media Guide" (PDF).
  16. ^ "Arizona Men's Basketball Ring of Honor Inductees". January 17, 2023.
  17. ^ Taylor, Cody (April 14, 2022). "Projected lottery pick Bennedict Mathurin declares for NBA draft". The Rookie Wire. USA Today. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  18. ^ "Arizona top prospect Mathurin enters NBA Draft". The Athletic. April 14, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  19. ^ East, Tony (July 3, 2022). "Indiana Pacers Facing Their Most Important NBA draft in Decades". Forbes.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  20. ^ Grand, Kyle (July 3, 2022). "Pacers sign Bennedict Mathurin". NBA.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  21. ^ "Hot Takes on Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin in 1st Game Since Calling out LeBron". bleacherreport.com. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  22. ^ Boyd, James (July 18, 2022). "Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin named to NBA All-Summer League Second Team". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  23. ^ S., Nathan (October 19, 2022). "Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin shine despite Pacers loss to Wizards". SB Nation. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  24. ^ "San Antonio Spurs vs Indiana Pacers Oct 21, 2022 Box Scores | NBA.com". nba.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  25. ^ "Detroit Pistons vs Indiana Pacers Oct 22, 2022 Box Scores | NBA.com". nba.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  26. ^ @bobbymarks42 (October 23, 2022). "From the great @StatsWilliams

    The 72 points by Indiana rookie Bennedict Mathurin are the most points through a player's first 3 career games since Jerry Stackhouse had 76 in 1995.

    The rookie is averaging 24 points on 11-21 from 3"     (Tweet). Retrieved October 26, 2022 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ @theathleticnba (October 27, 2022). "Bennedict Mathurin now has 104 points in his first five career games.

    He's the first Pacers player to score 100+ points in their first five career games in franchise history"     (Tweet). Retrieved November 2, 2022 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ "Mathurin helps Pacers top Nets 125-116". ESPN. October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  29. ^ "Bennedict Mathurin (30 Points) Highlights Vs. Denver Nuggets". NBA.com. October 29, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  30. ^ "Jalen Williams, Bennedict Mathurin named Kia Rookies of the Month". NBA.com. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  31. ^ Frank, Evan (January 23, 2023). "Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard named NBA Rising Stars for All-Star Weekend". IndyStar.com. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  32. ^ Indiana Pacers (February 13, 2023). "Bennedict Mathurin is the fastest Pacers rookie since Chuck Person (1986-87) to reach 1,000 career points". Twitter. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  33. ^ East, Tony (March 21, 2023). "Bennedict Mathurin returns for Indiana Pacers with 18 point outing against Charlotte Hornets". SportsIllustrated.com. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  34. ^ "Pacers' Buddy Hield: Moves to bench role Friday". CBSSports.com. March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  35. ^ "Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Nears double-double in defeat". CBSSports.com. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  36. ^ "Bennedict Mathurin has passed Chris Duarte for the most three-pointers made as a rookie in franchise history". Twitter.com. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  37. ^ "2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Voting". Associated Press News. April 25, 2023.
  38. ^ "2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie teams". NBA.com.
  39. ^ "'You can't guard me': Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin talks trash, wins Rising Stars MVP". indystar.com. February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  40. ^ "Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin to have season-ending shoulder surgery". NBA.com. March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  41. ^ Villas, Rexwell (November 10, 2024). "Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin make Pacers history in Knicks takedown". ClutchPoints. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  42. ^ Pascoe, Bruce (June 28, 2021). "Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin dropped from Canada's senior team, expected to join U19 event". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  43. ^ Amacher, Ezra (July 4, 2021). "Bennedict Mathurin scores 30 points to lead Canada to win at FIBA U19 World Cup". SB Nation. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  44. ^ Pascoe, Bruce (July 11, 2021). "Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin drops 31 points to lead Canada over Serbia for U19 bronze". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  45. ^ "Bennedict Richard Felder Mathurin (CAN)'s profile – FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021". FIBA. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  46. ^ Pascoe, Bruce (January 15, 2020). "Haitian-Canadian wing Ben Mathurin to pick either Arizona or Baylor on Wednesday". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
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