Bowling Green State University Athletics
Len Matela Feature Story
May 02, 2002 | Men's Basketball
May 2, 2002
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
Len Matela's college basketball career has been an interesting journey. It has not followed the yellow brick road, nor has it been like scaling Mount Everest from the back side. Somewhere in between, Matela has become arguably the best big man in the Mid-American Conference.
By his own admission, Matela came to Bowling Green four years ago as a soft and somewhat cocky high school kid ready to set the world on fire. He got singed a few times before he learned how to burn the opposition.
"Coming in, I thought it would be easy," says the 6-9 senior. "I thought I was going to be the greatest thing in the world. Then I quickly got the idea that there was going to be a lot of work involved. Nothing has been easy - every conditioning drill, every practice, every basket - everything came with work."
Matela was a highly sought player at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., the same school that produced Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich. But anyone who thought that association would give Matela a smooth path to the post position with the Falcons probably also believes that Olympic judging is always fair and impartial.
Through perseverance, Matela has blossomed under Dakich's tough love. It was not by accident if Matela's mail was, on occasion, delivered out behind the wood shed at Anderson Arena.
As a high school player Matela got kicked out of Dakich's summer camp for chatting with his friends while the coach was speaking. He got booted out of practice before a BG game in Hawaii two years ago, and since there was no locker room at the facility, Dakich sent Matela to the car. He has been tossed from practice a few more times, and got yanked off the floor less than half a minute into the first Toledo game this season for playing lax defense.
"All along, coach Dakich made me no guarantees," Matela said. "Being from the same high school was not a factor. He's been hard on me, but I can deal with it. If he wasn't hard on me then it wouldn't be good for the team. He keeps me on edge so I don't relax and start letting things slide. I didn't come to college to have a coach take it easy on me. I wanted to be pushed to be as good as I can."
Never staying in the doghouse for long, Matela played in every game as a freshman, averaging almost 20 minutes, and had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Indiana that year. As a sophomore he was one of the most accurate big men in the nation, shooting 62 percent from the field. He was honorable mention All-MAC last season, and this year is near the top of the conference in rebounding and scoring.
"He wasn't really receptive to being told what to do at first, but a lot of that about our relationship is a little bit overblown because since halfway through his freshman year, he has started just about every game," Dakich said.
"He's been treated harder than anybody who's been here. I know that. But he has also played as well as any big kid in this league. I'm way biased, and for me to say it hasn't been a thrill to have a kid from my hometown come in here - that's crazy. I've loved the results of it."
Michigan State offered Matela a scholarship, but he really liked Bowling Green. A couple of days into his first year, Matela was ready to retreat, but his parents would not let him.
"I knew there would be easier places to play, but I didn't think hard would be like it was here. I didn't realize how hard," Matela says. "After the first two days I was calling home saying I wanted to leave. I didn't think I could do it."
His parents said stick it out. They have maintained that stance throughout a four-year career that has made Matela one of the top scorers and rebounders in Bowling Green history.
"His mother comes up to me after the game at Northern Illinois last year and tells me I'm not getting on him enough," Dakich says. "Most people say you're being too hard on my son, but the Matelas have been awesome. When the mother tells you that you need to kick his butt, and she means it, that's something."
Matela, called "a beast" in the middle by more than one MAC coach, has played against some guys who probably have better tools, but haven't lifted their teams to the same lofty place - 22-6 overall, 12-5 in the MAC. He gets double-teamed as often as any player in the league.
"When a guy gets doubled every time, that's something," Dakich says. "There's a lot of guys who seem like they make first-team all-league every year just because people vote for their name, but Lenny's been as good a scoring center as there has been in the league. When a guy gets doubled all the time, that tells you they've got a little bit of respect for him."
Matela has 30 career double-doubles and is averaging 17.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in MAC play. In his last six games he is shooting almost 70 percent from the field.
"Lenny has a real toughness about him," Dakich says. "He's got a lot to be proud of. He came here to do what was asked of him. He is ultra polite. He's going to graduate on time, and not one single time has there been an issue about not going to class or anything like that. That's a quality kid."
The Falcons have two MAC regular-season games left, and then the conference tournament and possible post-season play. Following graduation, Matela hopes to play professionally, and then work in recreation management.
"It's not over, but playing college basketball here has been great," Matela says. "I've learned a lot about myself in the process. I've learned the benefits of hard work. I've grown up over the last four years. Everybody thinks coach Dakich has been tough on me, and he has, but I'm pretty hard on myself, too. I critique myself pretty hard.
"And if he's not hard on me, then I'm probably not getting better, and we probably don't win 20 games, and we probably don't talk about possibly playing in the tournament. The last four years have made a better player, and a better person."
