AUSTIN, Texas — Adrian Mathis spent the first eight years of his life in Italy. It's where soccer became the first sport he loved. But when his family moved to Texas, he started to take up basketball and learn the game from his father.
“I was working there (Italy) and playing there, so when we moved back to the states he just naturally transitioned to basketball,” said Donte Mathis, Adrian’s father. “He grew up in the gym and has just been learning about life through the sport.”
Donte Mathis was one of the best players ever to come through Texas State. After his playing days in San Marcos, he spent much of his pro career overseas, mostly in Italy. Donte is a coach now and an assistant on the Texas State staff. His experience traveling the world led to a unique opportunity for his son last year, when Adrian got to play for FC Barcelona B of the Spanish Basketball League.
“I was playing with grown men. I had a lot of fun out there,” Adrian said. “Just meeting new people and learning the language.”
“It was like a personal mission for him and he was forced to be a little more independent and mature,” said Donte. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I learned a lot in life by traveling, seeing different cultures and meeting different people and adapting. I think that had the same effect on him.”
Adrian had the opportunity to go back and play in Spain this season, but saw a better basketball future in the States.
“I decided maybe that college route is for me,” said Adrian. “So I moved over here and found that Lake Travis was the best for me.”
Adrian entered his junior year of high school at Lake Travis in a totally new world. He was joining a team with guys he didn’t know.
“It was pretty tough coming in as the new kid,” Adrian said. “I was really nervous trying to make new friends, but they really brought me under their wing.”
Adrian has proven to be exactly what the Cavaliers program needed. It was a team that had some long and athletic wings but needed a true point guard. That is where Adrian fits right in.
“When you have a true point guard he makes us go,” said Brandon Shaver, Lake Travis head coach. “I might be a little bias but I think he’s the best point guard in the state.”
“I bring a unique play style, I’m very quick,” said Adrian. “I believe this team needed a guard like that.”
Adrian has helped Lake Travis to an undefeated start in district play and has them ranked in the top 15 in class 6A. His unique basketball background has had a real impact on this team.
“For him to have that international experience and bring it over it’s pretty amazing to watch what he can do,” Shaver said. “You get sophomores, juniors and seniors that want to play in the big spotlight but he has been there.”
Adrian hopes that his play this year will help land him a Division 1 scholarship and opportunity to play college basketball in the U.S. But he’s not giving up all his ties to playing internationally. Last summer he was on the U16 Italian National Team that played in the FIBA European Championship.