Georgia Tech guard Christian Matthews did not make the trip with the team to play Notre Dame on Sunday in South Bend, Ind. Matthews is not with the team for personal reasons, coach Josh Pastner said. He is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh at McCamish Pavilion.
“I do think we’ll see him again this year,” Pastner told the AJC on Monday evening. “Right now, there’s more important things that he needs to focus on, and that’s more important to me than basketball.”
Pastner said earlier in the day that he is handling the matter “day by day.” Pastner said that Matthews has his full support.
“He’s a young man, and it’s all part of the maturation process,” Pastner said. “He’s a good kid, and he’s going to be a good player, but it’s all part of his development and growth.”
Matthews, from Clinton, Md., has played in 15 games this season, averaging 3.4 points per game. Notably, he has appeared in five of the Yellow Jackets’ 16 ACC games, unable to crack the guard rotation. Only former walk-on Rand Rowland and graduate transfer Jodan Price have played fewer minutes in ACC play than Matthews’ 27. He has demonstrated a scoring touch, but has struggled to meet Pastner’s standards on defense.
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