Matt Seidl had his doubts.
After all, while he was wrapping up his senior season at North Hills last winter, the Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team to which Seidl would commit in April was enjoying one of its most successful seasons in program history.
“At the beginning of the year, in preseason, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get any minutes,” said Seidl of his tenure early on at W&J, which won a Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship in 2022 and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time since 1994.
“Being a freshman, going in with the defending PAC champions,” he added, “I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to play at all.”
Presidents coach Ethan Stewart-Smith had other ideas.
“We definitely expected him to contribute in a big way,” the eighth-year coach said. “We certainly expected him to have a role and likely be in the rotation, but to be this productive as a freshman and this efficient and poised and able to impact the game on the level he has has kind of exceeded expectations.”
Seidl, who has twice been named the PAC Rookie of the Week, averages a team-high 15.4 points per game and shoots 48% from the field, good for eighth in the conference in each statistical category.
The Presidents are thriving, as well. W&J (19-6, 16-4) finished atop the PAC standings, is the top seed in its conference tournament and is poised to earn a second consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
“I’m happy coach Stew trusted me,” Seidl said.
In addition to his scoring output, Seidl averages 3.6 rebounds, and has 35 assists and 16 blocks, to go along with his 1.8 steals per game, fifth in the PAC.
“A couple of guys in this league are playing great basketball, but when you think of the top couple guys in this league, his name definitely has to be in consideration,” Stewart-Smith said. “I think early in the year he deferred a little bit. We do have a veteran team.
“Now as the year has progressed just his overall demeanor has progressed,” the coach added. “He’s grown up. He doesn’t play like a freshman.”
W&J’s 87-63 victory over Geneva on Saturday night also proved to be eventful for Seidl. He scored 24 points to finish the regular season with 394 points and set the Presidents’ freshman scoring record, which was previously set by Mike Turkaly, who scored 383 points in 1973.
Add North Hills coach Buzz Gabos among those not surprised at Seidl’s quick success.
“The upside is through the roof,” Gabos said. “One of the things, too, was he probably has grown a little bit since he even graduated last year. He’s obviously gotten stronger. Probably his greatest strength is there is no weakness. He does everything well on both sides of the ball.”
Seidl, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard, helped lead North Hills to the WPIAL Class 6A championship game and the PIAA quarterfinals as a senior in 2022.
Gabos said his former player “has all the intangibles.” In addition to his efficient scoring, Gabos said his Seidl is a great passer and makes good decisions with, and without, the basketball.
“In 25 years as a head coach, he’s the best cutter I’ve ever coached,” Gabos said. “His ability to change speeds and put people to sleep and then cut and score, it’s unbelievable. You can’t necessarily teach guys that.”
Such intangibles made Stewart-Smith’s job in developing the freshman’s talent much easier.
“He’s had the support of his teammates, and he’s continued to produce at a really high level,” Stewart-Smith said. “Our team understands his importance and how he can impact the game. He does everything well — that’s one of the beautiful things about him. He’s such a versatile player.
“He can make shots on the perimeter,” added Stewart-Smith of Seidl, who is shooting 42% from 3-point range. “He can drive and finish against bigger guys. If teams try to guard him with smaller guys he can post them up. He’s just a polished, versatile player that can play with and against anybody.”
For Seidl, a lot of the credit for his success lies with his veteran teammates. He said the guidance of senior guard Kyran Mitchell has been particularly impactful.
“He’s helped me a lot since I’ve got here with everything, just being determined on defense and scoring more on offense,” Seidl said. “He’s given me a lot of tools and motivation to get me to where I have to be.
“He’s a great leader, and he really knows how to get the team motivated and where we need to be to win games.”
Mitchell, who averages 12.8 points, joins Seidl as one of five W&J players averaging in double figures. Junior guard Nick Gearhart is at 13.6 points, JR Mazza at 12.2 points and South Fayette graduate Brandon Jakiela at 11 points.
W&J averages a PAC-best 83.2 points per game.
“I felt like I fit in pretty much right away,” Seidl said. “All the guys on this team are absolutely incredible guys. They welcomed me in right away. All credit to them. I’m so thankful for all my teammates.”
Stewart-Smith said W&J’s unselfish offensive approach could lead to his team making a deeper run in the NCAA tournament.
“Our main focus right now is going to be our first-round playoff game,” he said. “Last year we were fortunate to make it to the NCAA tournament. That’s the goal this year, but we’ve got to take care of business this week [in the PAC tournament].”
And that means Seidl will be leading the way for the Presidents.
“He’s played in big games his whole career,” Stewart-Smith said. “He’s built for moments like this, and I’m excited to see him perform the way he has on the biggest stage our conference has to offer.”
Seidl agreed. He said he’s anxious to perform in the PAC tournament and earn a spot in the NCAA field.
“I love the big moments,” Seidl said. “Especially in big games, pressure situation, it’s my favorite situation to be in so I do think I would thrive.
“I’m a very competitive person just naturally,” he added. “I think it’s just stemming all the way from childhood, and being that competitive all the way growing up, learning how to win and keep winning. I just can’t get enough it.”
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.