24-year-old power forward Matt Hurt spearheaded South East Melbourne Phoenix's remarkable 30-point turnaround against Adelaide 36ers in mid-February, scoring 25 of the team's 85 points including some clutch second-half plays.
He sat down with us during the international break to discuss his debut NBL season.
Congratulations on finishing third in the MVP voting, Matt! It is well-deserved recognition for what has been a very entertaining season for your supporters so far. Did you come into this NBL season with any particular personal expectations or ambitions other than the overarching goal of team success? How happy are you with the numbers you’ve put in during NBL25?
"I didn’t know what to expect. Being in a new league and a new country is definitely tough mentally but I’m always confident as a basketball player. I feel like I play basketball at a high level and just wanted to have the right mindset day by day. I wasn’t really looking for stats like top three MVP or top five points. I just wanted to keep getting better every single day and I think I’ve done that. Hopefully we can keep getting wins, especially coming up over the next couple of weeks."
How’s the mood in the club this week after you’ve all had time to recover from that rollercoaster of emotions at the weekend?
"It’s been great. We took a couple of days to ourselves and got away from the game and have a little break now. The team is feeling good and hopefully we can have a good week at practice. It’s going to be a big week of prep for us and I’m excited for the opportunity we’re going to have coming up and hopefully we come out with a win."
To produce one of your worst halves and one of your best as a side must have been emotionally tiring, but at the same time I guess it gives everyone a clear picture of how you do and don’t wish to play against the Illawarra Hawks next week.
"Being down 20 (points against Adelaide) is unacceptable and I take a lot of responsibility for that. I feel like I didn’t come out with a lot of energy and then we had the 180-degree turn into the second half. I’m just so proud of my team because when you’re down 20 it can go either way.
"You can lose by 30-40 or keep chipping away and I think we did that. We started scoring and getting stops and had more points at the end and that’s all that matters. At half-time I had to sit there, close my eyes and have a moment to myself to visualise us winning the game. I went back out there with a lot more energy and told myself I didn’t want to end the season like that. My teammates had the same mindset as well and I’m just glad we got the win."
Consistency has eluded the Phoenix right throughout the season and there has been just one instance in your last seven games of winning both halves. Will there be a big focus on that in your remaining preparation considering the start against the 36ers?
"Obviously we can’t be 20 down against Illawarra. They’re the best team in the competition for a reason. They’re really well-coached. I think we just have to take it quarter-by-quarter. I feel like if we put together a good 40 minutes of basketball we can beat anybody. If we don’t, we could lose to anybody. We just have to have the mindset that every possession matters, whether it’s defence or offence. We just have to win the possession."
The Phoenix have had two hard-fought wins against Illawarra in the last two meetings. Does that come into consideration this week?
"I don’t really consider the regular season during the postseason. Postseason basketball is a lot different to regular-season basketball. They’re going to throw some curveballs, we’re going to throw some curveballs that we didn’t in the first three games. I’m excited for the opportunity to play against the best in the league and I’m ready for the challenge for sure."
Can you please tell our readers about what it was like to play under the legendary Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), who you have previously described as the greatest coach of all time in any sport? How did he shape you not only as a player but also as a human during such a transformative time in your life?
"I think he’s one of the basketball coaches of all time, especially the mental aspect of basketball and how he made me think about the game; how you just have to do your best every single day and the results are going to come. I feel that consistency is one of the things he honed into me.
"One of my first years I was up-and-down, having some bad games and some good games, but having the consistency every single game is something I took away from Coach K for sure. He texted me just the other day (on his birthday). He’s especially good with remembering birthdays, I will say."
There would not have been a person who didn’t face personal challenges during the early onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020. What did you do to keep busy during that roughly three-month period? Did you find it to be a setback or was it an opportunity to develop in an unexpected way?
"I went back home to Minnesota. We were going to make the NCAA tournament. I took a couple of weeks off of practice. I had a trainer in Chicago and obviously I couldn’t get to Chicago. My dad was a high school coach at the high school that I went to so he had the keys to get into the gym. The superintendent let me use the gym and (my dad) and I worked every day from April through to August on my skills. That’s why I think I took a huge leap from my freshman to my sophomore year."
Coming back to the present, can you think of anything that has surprised you about living and playing in Australia - either positive or negative and on the court or off it?
"On the court, the talent here is incredible. The people are great here. Off the court here it’s trying to get used to the laws such as the driving rules. It’s definitely different in the States than it is over here... Cops are a lot more lenient in the States if you’re say ten miles per hour over the speed limit. We use kilometres over here and when I’m on the highway I see the big overhead signs and I’m definitely not going over them.
"Not being on your phone when driving over here was another big adjustment. I also think the food over here is better than the United States and I think anybody here would agree with me. Obviously, it’s a lot safer here too with the gun laws and stuff like that. I feel nice and safe here and that’s all I care about."
What do you think makes the NBL so attractive to bright young prospects such as yourself? Is it the Next Stars program? The Australian lifestyle? The standard of competition and development opportunities it provides?
"It’s summer over here so it’s a lot nicer. Winter back in the States can be a mental hurdle for some. The lifestyle over here is great and the competition is getting better and better over here.
"I don’t know why you wouldn’t take a hard look at (playing in) Australia because it’s a six-month season - realistically, you come in August, you could be done at the end of February or early March, still get paid well, and have the rest of the off-season to do whatever you want. I wouldn’t be surprised if overseas players start looking more at this league."
Finally, what’s an ideal day off for Matt Hurt?
"Depends on how my jump is feeling during the games. I might go work out on my own, see the ball go through the net. I like to play video games a lot.
"Me and a couple of my teammates play Call of Duty a lot, probably an hour or two a night to end our night. I like to sleep and I like to try new foods so sometimes I’ll try to get out.
"I enjoy golf too, I played just the other day and that’s why I had the bad ‘farmer’s tan’ a couple of games ago! It wasn’t that hot outside, it was a little breezy - a perfect day to golf - but I didn’t put sunscreen on. But staying active overall is the way to go, I don’t like to lay in my room and do nothing too often."