Former University of New Mexico men's basketball player Anthony Mathis recently announced he had entered the NCAA transfer portal. He didn't stay there for very long.
Multiple reports have confirmed that Mathis has given a verbal commitment and apparently found a new basketball home — his old one.
Mathis tweeted a couple of photos of him in an Oregon Duck jersey on Wednesday and said he was "officially coming home" and "couldn't be happier!"
The senior guard was granted a season-of-competition waiver by the NCAA last month, essentially giving him back his sophomore year (2016-17) in which he played just 64 minutes over the course of 10 games.
Some might have been caught off guard by the notion that Mathis would decide to transfer after head coach Paul Weir worked to get the appeal approved. But Weir has exhibited on several occasions his willingness to work with players to allow them the chance to do what they think is in their best interest.
Mathis and Weir both commented on their closeness during what most thought was Mathis' final season. Weir said they "took a chance on each other" when he took the job a couple of years ago and Mathis decided to remain at UNM. Mathis took full advantage of that opportunity — morphing from a seldom used bench player to one of the most prolific shooters in Lobo history.
He shot an impressive 47.3 percent from 3-point range as a junior, setting the record for most made 3s in league play along the way. Mathis followed that up in his senior year by breaking the single-season record for 3-pointers. Kevin Henry set the mark with 102 during the 1998-99 campaign, but Mathis surpassed that with 106 makes from beyond the arc last season.
But before Mathis ever came to New Mexico, he had already started making his mark on basketball in Oregon. He attended West Linn High School and helped his squad with back-to-back 6A state basketball championships in 2013 and 2014.
Mathis got to experience post-season play in high school, but one bullet point missing from his collegiate résumé is a NCAA Tournament appearance.
He will try to achieve that feat next season when he heads west to be reunited with his former high school teammate, Payton Pritchard, who is entering his senior year with the Oregon Ducks.
Pritchard and Mathis appear to be close. Pritchard said through social media that he and Mathis were "actual brothers and not just high school teammates", added that they had lived together since sixth grade.
Mathis' shooting ability could bolster an already well-accomplished roster and give Oregon a shot to repeat as Pac-12 Conference Tournament Champions.
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The Ducks have made the NCAA Tournament in six of the past seven seasons under head coach Dana Altman and advanced all the way to the Final Four in the 2017 season.
Mathis led the Lobos last season in total points and scoring average with 14.4 points per game. He was first in the team with a 41.6 shooting percentage from 3-point range and connected on 88.8 percent of his free throw attempts.
As a graduate transfer, Mathis will be eligible to play in the upcoming season.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers basketball and baseball and contributes content for various other sports as well. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Robert_Maler
