Mar 31, 2015 By Eleanor Bailey 5 min read

Mt. Lebanon head coach Joe David paid Matty McConnell the ultimate compliment. After his Blue Devils ended McConnell’s scholastic career, posting a last-second victory, 50-48, against Chartiers Valley, David told McConnell that he was “better” than his brother, the star point guard for the Arizona Wildcats.

“I’d rather play against T.J. (than Matty),” David said, “because he can do so much more. He can post. He can rebound. He can hit bombs. He gets hoops on the break. He does things defensively. He’s better as a high school player.

“He’s a fantastic player. He is the key (to their game). The only key,” continued David. “He’s that type of player. He’s a pass-first guy. He always has his head up. He makes the guys around him better, which is the definition of what a great player is.”

McConnell proved his greatness this winter when he led the WPIAL with a 30-plus scoring average during the regular season then guided his Colts to a district championship.

Without a doubt, he was voted the top player in Section 4-AAAA.

“Easy call,” said Bethel Park skipper Ben O’Connor when asked who his top choice was. “Matty McConnell was the best player in the WPIAL.”

McConnell scorched the Blackhawks for 97 points in two games. He tied a school record with 54 tallies on Bethel Park’s home court.

That wasn’t the only achievement in McConnell’s career. He is one of only three players in school history to surpass 2,000 points during his tenure and he reached the milestone in dramatic fashion. He swished a 3-point field goal from mid-court to end the third quarter during the WPIAL Quad-A final, played at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

“That was one of my biggest moments of the season. To reach 2,000 on a shot like that was amazing and special,” said McConnell, who has compiled a 92-15 career record, complete with four section banners and three state playoff appearances.

Beating Mt. Lebanon at home, being section champions and claiming the WPIAL title after finishing runner-up two years in a row rank as other highlights during McConnell’s senior season. Despite a second loss at the buzzer to Lebo in the PIAA tournament, McConnell said that he was pleased with this year’s 23-4 record.

“Yes, the loss to Lebo was sad but we fought as hard as we could,” said the son of Tim and Shelly McConnell. “At the end of the day, I still have gold,” he said of his championship medal. “I’m proud of that. It was a big win at the Pete, especially when we headed into the locker room down at halftime. We were still in the game. I thought we’d come around.”

Despite breaking his right foot in an AAU game during the summer and requiring surgery to repair the injury, McConnell’s game came around this season. In addition to averaging 29.4 points per game, he led his team in scoring with 795 total points. He also ranked first in rebounds with 247 for a 9.1 average, in steals with 132 for nearly five per game, in assists with 157 for a 5.8 average and blocked shots with 34. He converted 57 percent of his field goals and 78 percent of his free throws. He buried 66 3-point field goals.

“Matty had a phenomenal year,” said Tim McConnell, who is also the CV head coach. “All dimensions of his game flowed. He rebounded. He stole the ball. He controlled the boards. He drove. He pulled up. He hit threes.”

Robert Morris University took note of McConnell. The Colonials, in the end, won the recruiting game. McConnell picked them over Youngstown State and St. Francis because the Colonials “showed the most interest” in him.

“Robert Morris felt right to me. It was the best fit for me,” said McConnell, who plans on majoring in sports management.

Unlike his brother, who played two seasons at Duquesne University before transferring to Arizona, where he is the Wildcats’ star point guard, McConnell plans to play four years at Robert Morris. “I’m not going in there thinking I’m going somewhere else in a couple of years,” he said. “If all goes right, I’m going to be there for all four years.”

The move to Robert Morris requires some adjustments for McConnell. He’s already hit the weight room at Chartiers Valley and said that he is working on is speed. “I have to get faster,” he said.

“Going from high school to the college game is a complete change even if it’s just Division III or II,” he noted. “The pace of the game is faster and the players are bigger.”

No player has been bigger in McConnell’s eyes than his brother. T.J. McConnell had the Wildcats ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Kentucky before March Madness began.

“He’s been a huge inspiration to me. I look up to T.J.,” McConnell said. “He’s somebody I can talk to about anything.”

This week, McConnell will be talking to his brother about how, for the second year in a row, he, too, has been named The Almanac’s Most Valuable Player for boys’ basketball.

“It never gets old,” he said of receiving accolades. “I have to give credit to my teammates though. They played a big part in this. They’ve been great teammates and leaders and the young guys have come through in big games. Credit goes to my teammates,” he reiterated.