LHS senior fulfills dream to play Division I collegiate basketball
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Sept. 30 — A Luray High School senior saw his childhood dreams come true this week, dreams he had written down on paper and outlined as future goals…and he gets to do it at his dream school, and along side his childhood friend.
On Saturday, all-state basketball standout Matthew Owens made a verbal commitment to accept an offer from James Madison University to play hoops for the Division I program.
“It was official on Saturday when I went up for a visit and they offered me a spot and I committed then,” said Owens on Tuesday evening, “but I didn’t get everything right until today and I made the post today so the public could know.”
Owens helped lead the Bulldogs to two-straight Region 2B titles and two consecutive trips to the VHSL Class 2 state tournament. Last season he averaged about 18 ppg and was named the Region 2B Player of the Year while also earning first team all-state honors. As a sophomore, he earned second team all-state recognition. The then-junior began talking with JMU head coach Preston Spadlin and the Dukes after appearing in last season’s state semifinal appearance against a powerful John Marshall team.
“I didn’t really talk to them much until after we played John Marshall in the state semifinals, and I guess they saw me then and they invited me to their elite camp,” said Owens. “I was at elite camp and did alright and then they invited me up for a visit and we stayed in contact. Then they just offered me a spot and I took it. It was a pretty cool experience.”
Despite having a number of DII and DIII schools like Frostburg, Shepherd, Bridgewater and EMU also courting the basketball star, as well as a visit to Navy, Owens stated that JMU was his top Division I collegiate offer, and he has no plans of going anywhere else even though early National Signing Day is still more than two months away.
“This is a verbal commitment right now, but I definitely don’t plan on changing my mind,” he said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I’ve always wanted this…I have papers written down saying I want to play Division I, and one of my top schools was always JMU as well, so this is really a blessing.”
JMU head men’s basketball coach Preston Spradlin is preparing to enter his second season with the Dukes after being hired away from Morehead State on March 29, 2024. In his first season, JMU reached the 20-win mark for the third consecutive time since 1992-94 and clinched a share of the Sun Belt Conference regular season title after winning 10 consecutive conference games for only the third time in program history.
In his early conversations, Owens has been impressed with the winning coach.
“He’s just a great guy, great coach, super knowledgable, he’s told me that he believes in me and believes in what I’m capable of,” the LHS senior said. “So it’s been great to see a coach that knows what I’m capable of and that will lead me in the right direction — not just on the court, but off the court as well.”
Last season, Luray finished 21-8 and among the top four teams in VHSL Class 2. In his last three games, including a second-straight Region B championship and two state playoffs games, Owens lead all scorers in each contest and averaged 24 ppg (a total of 71 points). The junior also had two buzzer-beating shots in the playoffs.
Owens went through that amazing run — one of the best in Luray boys basketball in many seasons — with one of his best friends, Connor Hilliard. The talented multi-spot athlete verbally committed his 90-plus, mile-per-hour fastball to JMU baseball this summer.
Now the two childhood friends will be heading off to the same university next fall to play sports at the next level.
“That’s awesome…my childhood best friend, it’s a really cool experience,” Owens told PVN on Tuesday. “I’m going to be able to go over there and we’re both going to be playing sports in college, at the same college, at the Division I level… so it’s truly a blessing.”
For more information on JMU men’s basketball,
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