He shared the vision with his teammates at halftime, and together they played it into existence over the next 20 minutes.
The first 20 had been stop-and-go for the Wolverines. On the defensive end, where this team has made its name, they allowed six three pointers. They rarely allow more than three in a game. They were up four, but the lead could have been larger.
The Gators were hanging around. Matthews, who is possessed with winning this tournament in his final crack at it, decided it was time to send them home. And it would start with taking away their threes.
“He was just talking about, we have to shut that three-point water off. They’re kind of dragging us out on the ball screens and looking over the top. We knew we had to make adjustments, and that’s what we did. His leadership, his presence is very key to our success,” said Jon Teske.
Michigan held Florida to 21 points and a 3-13 line from beyond the arc in the second half, running away with a 64-49 win. It was the Gators’ lowest offensive output of the season, another headstone in the graveyard that is Michigan’s defense.
He was smiling as he ran back up the floor, knowing this one was in the bag. Isaiah Livers was smiling afterward, incredulous that everything Matthews said at halftime wound up coming true.
“He said, ‘Forget about everything else. Whatever you’re thinking about, scratch it out of your mind.’ I’m telling you," Livers went on, now shaking his head, "he literally said this: ‘We’re going to the Sweet 16. You’ll know that feeling when we’re pouring water on Coach. Think about pouring water on the coaches when they come in here after we win."
There’s not a player more committed to Michigan’s mission than Matthews. It’s why he stood up at halftime, even though it’s not really his thing. Jordan Poole, who scored a game-high 19 points, is the usual suspect. He was discussing Matthews’ speech when Matthews walked up to the adjacent locker.
“What about me?” Matthews asked. Then he smiled coyly, gathered his things and slipped away.
“He’s such a shy guy, he’s to himself,” said Poole. “Being able to lay himself out for the team and speak up, in moments like this, it just shows how he is as a leader. You wouldn’t want any other guy to be in that situation.”
If Matthews is bashful with his words, he certainly isn’t lacking confidence in his game. This is a dude who calls himself Kobe. He had a quiet night by his standards, finishing with nine points and seven boards, except for when he found his voice.
“I’ve never seen a speech like that from him,” Livers said. “Usually when we’re up he’ll say little small statements, but that was a huge statement he made for us. You could tell it turned the team around.
“You know Charles is a little quiet guy. He was loud, louder than usual, and I couldn’t do nothing but listen and kind of visualize what he was talking about. And it worked.”
Fired up by Matthews' words, the Wolverines went on an 11-0 run to start the second half, expanding their lead to 15. They cruised the rest of the way. Then they made good on the last part of Matthews’ vision.
“He’s on the quiet end, but when he speaks, everyone listens,” said Teske. “This being his final year, you know he wants this badly, so we want to keep playing for him. And you know he’s going to do all he can.”