'It was hard for me to leave': Matt Mooney talks transfer, new challenges and riding the wave with Texas Tech
Jordan Hofeditz, Abilene Reporter-NewsPublished 12:19 p.m. CT March 13, 2019 | Updated 1:27 p.m. CT March 13, 2019
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Matt Mooney has been at Texas Tech for one season, but the way he works with his teammates make it seem like it's the only place he's ever played college basketball.
South Dakota basketball fans know that's not true, but they're watching the former Coyote from afar.
With Mooney's help, the No. 7 Red Raiders (26-5) earned a share of their first-ever regular season Big 12 Conference title and first league championship of any kind since 1996.
“It’s been a long process, but I think we’ve gotten better throughout the year,” said Mooney, a senior guard who transferred from South Dakota after leading the Coyotes to last year's Summit League finals. “Early on, we were winning a lot of games, but we weren’t playing as well as we could be ... throughout the year, we’ve just continually gotten better. Now we’ve gotten into a bit of a win streak where we’ve started to click and gel well.”
The Wauconda, Ill., native started his career at the Air Force Academy, playing one season and then sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules before starting every game for two seasons at USD. But when that coaching staff left for Utah State, Mooney had a decision to make. And it wasn't an easy one.
“It was really overwhelming and stressful,” Mooney said. “First off, it was really hard for me to leave South Dakota. I really loved it there. My time there was amazing. I loved the people out there and my coaching staff ... When I did decide that it would be best for me to leave (USD), I had a lot of schools contact me.”
Mooney found himself in a new world. Coming out of Notre Dame Prep he had one Division I offer — Air Force. When he decided to transfer there were a couple of options. But now teams were seeking him out, and why wouldn't they?
He started each of the 68 games he played at USD, leading the team to 48 wins with 1,271 points. Mooney put up the fourth- and fifth-best single-season scoring totals in USD history, was a two-time first-team all-conference selection and was a Lou Henson All-America selection.
And now teams wanted him to spend his final year doing that for them.
“I had never really been recruited like that,” Mooney said. “It just kind of blew up. It was a blessing, of course, but it was very stressful. I had people pulling me all different directions saying, ‘You should go here. You should go here. This would be best for you. This would be best for your pro future.’ But I just had to make that decision for myself and think where’s best, who’s going to put me in the best position to succeed."
Mooney picked Texas Tech over Creighton and Northwestern. That decision came down to what coach Chris Beard had done at Arkansas-Little Rock, taking new players and having immediate success, and the staff's track record of player development.
“Once I made that decision, there’s no turning back,” said Mooney, who has started all 31 games and averages 10.9 points, making him the team's third-leading scorer. “You just have to give it everything you have and live with no regrets. That’s what I’ve tried to do. To this point, we’ve had a really good season. I couldn’t have asked Coach Beard or any of the other people here for a better opportunity. It’s been great so far.”
When the Red Raiders defeated Kansas at home on Feb. 23, it solidified their spot in the regular season championship conversation and fulfilled part of an agreement between Beard and his two senior graduate transfers, Mooney and Tariq Owens.
“That’s why they came here, to play in big games like (against Kansas),” Beard said after the Kansas game. “I had that conversation with Tariq and Matt, ‘Don’t let the moment be bigger than us. This is why you came here. We talked about it in recruiting. It’s here, embrace the moment.’”
Mooney did to the tune of 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and a season-high six assists. His following game, against Oklahoma State, was not as impressive on paper, but when Tech needed Mooney to perform, he did.
Four of Mooney's six points came in overtime, he finished with another six assists and had no turnovers in 41 minutes on the court.
“Depending on what happens here down the stretch I think Matt, in the eyes of other coaches as well as me, is one of the best players in the Big 12,” Beard said after Tech’s overtime win against Oklahoma State. “He’s a veteran. He’s proven that he can play on this level with consistency … I was really impressed with the plays he made down the stretch. You’ve got to have the courage to be in those moments. You have to want to be in those moments."
On Monday, Mooney got to experience a moment he felt like might never come, Senior Night. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work and one very important decision. But as he was joined on the court by his family and cheered on by a sell-out crowd, it all sunk in.
Mooney went on to score 15 points as Tech swept the regular season-series against Texas for the first time since 1996 and earned the Red Raiders largest margin of victory against Texas since 1984.
“It was a special night,” Mooney said. “I’m a fifth-year guy, I’ve been around for a little while, and kind of felt like I’d never have a senior night. It finally came ... Only being here one year I didn’t know how it would be. But the people here have really embraced me and I love the community and the fan base is just incredible. It was a really special time for me and my family."
Everything Mooney talks about is with a bit of finality, but also a reminder that Tech’s season is far from over. The Red Raiders begin Big 12 tournament play Thursday in Kansas City and are projected as a third seed for the NCAA tournament.
"(Coach Beard) asks us, ‘What’s the biggest game you’ve ever played in? What’s the most important game you’ve ever played in?'" Mooney said. "The answer is the next game on the schedule. We’re trying to win every single game."
Jordan Hofeditz, Abilene Reporter-NewsPublished 12:19 p.m. CT March 13, 2019 | Updated 1:27 p.m. CT March 13, 2019
LINK
Matt Mooney has been at Texas Tech for one season, but the way he works with his teammates make it seem like it's the only place he's ever played college basketball.
South Dakota basketball fans know that's not true, but they're watching the former Coyote from afar.
With Mooney's help, the No. 7 Red Raiders (26-5) earned a share of their first-ever regular season Big 12 Conference title and first league championship of any kind since 1996.
“It’s been a long process, but I think we’ve gotten better throughout the year,” said Mooney, a senior guard who transferred from South Dakota after leading the Coyotes to last year's Summit League finals. “Early on, we were winning a lot of games, but we weren’t playing as well as we could be ... throughout the year, we’ve just continually gotten better. Now we’ve gotten into a bit of a win streak where we’ve started to click and gel well.”
The Wauconda, Ill., native started his career at the Air Force Academy, playing one season and then sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules before starting every game for two seasons at USD. But when that coaching staff left for Utah State, Mooney had a decision to make. And it wasn't an easy one.
“It was really overwhelming and stressful,” Mooney said. “First off, it was really hard for me to leave South Dakota. I really loved it there. My time there was amazing. I loved the people out there and my coaching staff ... When I did decide that it would be best for me to leave (USD), I had a lot of schools contact me.”
Mooney found himself in a new world. Coming out of Notre Dame Prep he had one Division I offer — Air Force. When he decided to transfer there were a couple of options. But now teams were seeking him out, and why wouldn't they?
He started each of the 68 games he played at USD, leading the team to 48 wins with 1,271 points. Mooney put up the fourth- and fifth-best single-season scoring totals in USD history, was a two-time first-team all-conference selection and was a Lou Henson All-America selection.
And now teams wanted him to spend his final year doing that for them.
“I had never really been recruited like that,” Mooney said. “It just kind of blew up. It was a blessing, of course, but it was very stressful. I had people pulling me all different directions saying, ‘You should go here. You should go here. This would be best for you. This would be best for your pro future.’ But I just had to make that decision for myself and think where’s best, who’s going to put me in the best position to succeed."
Mooney picked Texas Tech over Creighton and Northwestern. That decision came down to what coach Chris Beard had done at Arkansas-Little Rock, taking new players and having immediate success, and the staff's track record of player development.
“Once I made that decision, there’s no turning back,” said Mooney, who has started all 31 games and averages 10.9 points, making him the team's third-leading scorer. “You just have to give it everything you have and live with no regrets. That’s what I’ve tried to do. To this point, we’ve had a really good season. I couldn’t have asked Coach Beard or any of the other people here for a better opportunity. It’s been great so far.”
When the Red Raiders defeated Kansas at home on Feb. 23, it solidified their spot in the regular season championship conversation and fulfilled part of an agreement between Beard and his two senior graduate transfers, Mooney and Tariq Owens.
“That’s why they came here, to play in big games like (against Kansas),” Beard said after the Kansas game. “I had that conversation with Tariq and Matt, ‘Don’t let the moment be bigger than us. This is why you came here. We talked about it in recruiting. It’s here, embrace the moment.’”
Mooney did to the tune of 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and a season-high six assists. His following game, against Oklahoma State, was not as impressive on paper, but when Tech needed Mooney to perform, he did.
Four of Mooney's six points came in overtime, he finished with another six assists and had no turnovers in 41 minutes on the court.
“Depending on what happens here down the stretch I think Matt, in the eyes of other coaches as well as me, is one of the best players in the Big 12,” Beard said after Tech’s overtime win against Oklahoma State. “He’s a veteran. He’s proven that he can play on this level with consistency … I was really impressed with the plays he made down the stretch. You’ve got to have the courage to be in those moments. You have to want to be in those moments."
On Monday, Mooney got to experience a moment he felt like might never come, Senior Night. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work and one very important decision. But as he was joined on the court by his family and cheered on by a sell-out crowd, it all sunk in.
Mooney went on to score 15 points as Tech swept the regular season-series against Texas for the first time since 1996 and earned the Red Raiders largest margin of victory against Texas since 1984.
“It was a special night,” Mooney said. “I’m a fifth-year guy, I’ve been around for a little while, and kind of felt like I’d never have a senior night. It finally came ... Only being here one year I didn’t know how it would be. But the people here have really embraced me and I love the community and the fan base is just incredible. It was a really special time for me and my family."
Everything Mooney talks about is with a bit of finality, but also a reminder that Tech’s season is far from over. The Red Raiders begin Big 12 tournament play Thursday in Kansas City and are projected as a third seed for the NCAA tournament.
"(Coach Beard) asks us, ‘What’s the biggest game you’ve ever played in? What’s the most important game you’ve ever played in?'" Mooney said. "The answer is the next game on the schedule. We’re trying to win every single game."
