Knicks may target Bennedict Mathurin to pair with fellow Canadian RJ Barrett

CHICAGO — It was the dunk that got Bennedict Mathurin onto every highlight show, a tomahawk throw down midway through the second half of Arizona’s matchup against TCU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this year. But it was the long three-point field goal that he drained to send the game into overtime and taking over the game to advance the Wildcats that had teammates rushing in front of cameras shouting that he was the best player in the country.

Now, Mathurin is trying to prove that on the next level, projected as a lottery pick in next month’s NBA Draft. ESPN and other mock drafts have him headed to the Knicks, although some have him projected as high as No. 7.  He interviewed Thursday morning with the Knicks who hold the 11th pick, conjuring up visions of a Canadian pairing with RJ Barrett.

Before he sat down with the Knicks front office staff and coach Tom Thibodeau, he worked out with Barrett in Tampa, Florida, as he traveled down with the Canadian senior team. 

“I was with him this summer,” Mathurin said. “I knew him before, but that’s how I really interacted, really talked with him. He told me a little bit about the NBA. It was mostly NBA players with that team, so they taught me a little bit about the NBA and what to expect.”

After two seasons at Arizona Mathurin seems ready for it, a sturdy 6-6 in shoes. And he has a background building that toughness, growing up playing defenseman in hockey and then wide receiver and quarterback in football before taking up basketball. 

He said that in meeting the Knicks, “It went pretty good. All the interviews are pretty different. 

"Coach Tom [Thibodeau], you know, he’s a little bit different. They obviously want to get to know me, so they asked me about my background.”

What he came into these interviews with teams hoping to show was what they couldn’t see on the court.

“I feel like it’s great,” he said. “I got to show the scouts and the GMs my real personality. People thought I was introverted. It was good to showcase myself and my personality. 

“I just want them to know that I’m a serious person about what I do. I’m a winner. I hate losing. So my work ethic is what brought me here. I’m going to keep doing it.”

Mathurin averaged 17.7 points and 5.5 rebounds this season to earn Pac-10 Player of the Year honors. He shot 36.9% from beyond the arc after shooting 41.8% as a freshman, but nearly doubled his attempts this year. But he stressed that it’s not his shooting or scoring, while that is what he is known for, that he thinks is his biggest selling point as he heads toward the draft.

“I think my shooting is the biggest part of my game,” he said, but added, “I think I’m a two-way player. I think I’m able to showcase, [the work] to get a stop defensively — I did It for 30 seconds. Or offensively I’m able to shoot the ball and have an impact both ways.

“ I’ve been watching a lot of Jimmy Butler. He’s a two-way player. He’s a great player. Obviously. The Heat, they have a great team, but Boston as well, they have great players and the way they play defense is different than college. I’m all about watching the games and learning how the NBA spacing will affect my future.”

NOTES & QUOTES: St. John’s Julian Champagnie is playing at the Draft Combine, but he had to shut down for seven days after testing positive for COVID at a predraft workout in Atlanta for the Hawks. He was quarantined there, forced to cancel a workout with the Nets, and had one day to get to Miami for a workout and pick up his bags before flying to Chicago to jump into these workouts. He said he didn’t have any symptoms when he tested positive, but had to shut down his workouts and felt rusty shooting the ball.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.