Courbon getting acclimated to Murray
MBB: The France native is one of several international players on the roster this season
Back on May 6th, Mathis Courbon officially signed to play his college basketball at Murray State, becoming the first player from France to become a Racer. In the two months since, Murray State Head Coach Ryan Miller has added to the international flavor on his roster, signing Roman Domon out of France and New Zealand’s Lachlan Crate.
Courbon has been to the United States a few times over the years, visiting New York City and Miami. He admits coming to a small town like Murray has been an adjustment.
“It's been good,” Courbon said about his first impressions of southwest Kentucky. “It's (obviously) not the same (as Miami or New York), but I think it's good because I can really focus on basketball, and that's why I'm here.”
The 6’6 wing from Lyon, France said his recruitment to Murray State was pretty simple. Miller reached out to Courbon’s agent, a Zoom call was set up, and then Courbon came to Murray for his official visit in early May. It didn’t take long for him to sign with the Racer program.
"Mathis Courbon marks an exciting step in recruiting elite European talent," Miller said in a statement announcing Courbon’s signing. "This dynamic athlete brings proven playmaking and scoring prowess to the Racers."
What does Courbon think Murray State fans will see when he’s out on the floor?
“Creativity, passing, finishing at the rim, shooting, kind of an all-around player — and energy,” Courbon said.
Here’s a quick highlight video of Courbon that Murray State posted on the team’s X account.
Courbon played professionally for the last two seasons with Chorale Roanne in the LNB Pro B — the second level of professional basketball in France. Playing against pros as a teenager was certainly a learning experience for Courbon.
“It was tough, because you really play against grown men who've been doing that for ten years,” Courbon said. “I was playing with Kendall Smith — Coach Miller coached him at UNLV ten years ago. You play against grown men, but in two years I really got better and better and better. So that was cool.”
It may seem backwards to go from the professional ranks to college, but there is a method to Courbon’s thought process.
“I would say the individual work, like getting better on the court, off the court in the weight room, and because the facilities are really good here compared to France,” Courbon said. “I think the experience too, I think that can be good for me, to just discover a new culture, a new style of play. For me, it was a good opportunity.”
With summer workouts winding down before the team heads to The Bahamas for their exhibition tour next week, Courbon says he’s excited about the experience.
“It’s going to be fun,” Courbon said smiling. “That's going to be fun with the guys and stuff. I’m looking forward to it.”
Murray State’s first game in The Bahamas will be Monday morning at 10:00am against the University of Calgary. You can watch the YouTube stream of the game here.
Enjoyed watching him practice!!!