Treacy moving up to D1 level as career progression continues

By Gerard Mulreaney (@gerardmulreaney)

When Matt Treacy first picked up a basketball he fell in love with the game. 

Growing up in Glasnevin, Dublin, Treacy played ball for Tolka Rovers, even though he lived much closer to St Vincent’s basketball club.

At just five years of age, and with no family connection to the game, he joined the newly formed Tharren Reid basketball academy on Tuesday’s, just for something to do, and he’s never looked back since.

“What is love? Love is playing every game like it's your last.” ― Micheal Jordan

In the middle of November Treacy announced on social media that he will join Division 1 school Bryant University for his Junior year, joining his fellow-countryman Aidan Harris Igiehon (Louisville) at the D1 level.

Treacy says he can’t wait to get up there: “I’m really looking forward to getting up there next season. They really provided everything that I was looking for from a D1 school for next year. Their style of play, coaching staff, returning players, Academics and location were perfect for me. Being able to find the right fit and be signed so early in the recruiting process is great.

His interest in a potential move to the States didn’t come about until his mid-teens, even though he says that he wasn’t near good enough at that stage:

“Over the next few years I essentially worked my way into the position to be able to go to America. I grew to 6’7” and put on some weight which caught the attention of some scouts and college coaches. 

“I decided to go to a prep school for a year before making my college decision, so I attended Combine Academy in North Carolina. I think that being able to market yourself correctly to these coaches and scouts is an underrated aspect of trying to go abroad with basketball,” said Treacy.

When he arrived at Urbana University in Ohio he was expected to produce from the get-go, which is unusual for freshman. Treacy said: “I started my first game, and close to all my games that season, which is not always common with freshmen. I had to adapt quickly as you are playing against guys with 3 years of college basketball experience. As well as many guys being bigger stronger and faster. 

“Though being a freshman had its positives as you are relatively unknown to other teams and they do not scout for you. From memory, I think I scored 20+ points in my first 5/6 college games which shocked a lot of teams around the conference. Though there were definitely ups and downs personally throughout the season as I adapted to the game and how teams were scouting me.

“My first year at Urbana was an interesting experience. I was in a situation that allowed me to flourish my game as I was relied on to play a lot of minutes and play a big role. We struggled as a team during the year, but we had a talented group. I enjoyed my time there overall.

“When the season ended at Urbana, we had a pretty disappointing finish. My coaching staff left the school after the season, so I decided it was best for me to move on also. The recruiting process went really well for me when I announced I was going to be transferring. I had a lot of different options. 

“I decided I wanted to try and pursue D1 basketball, and junior college was the best way to do that from a D2 school. 

So he left Ohio and headed to Hobbs in New Mexico, joining the Thunderbirds for his Sophomore year. After ten games they’ve a record of 8-2 and Treacy is happy with the choice he made:

“I have a great relationship with the coaching staff here at New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) and knew that the team was going to be super talented and we were going to compete for a national championship. I trusted that they were the best place to help me continue to work on my game and achieve my goals.”

I asked him if he as enjoying his time in America and he said: “Absolutely! I get to wake up every morning and play the game I love while getting an education. I’ve built up some amazing relationships here over the years that I’m very grateful for. The lifestyle of a college athlete, while difficult, Is a lot of fun. I still find it crazy that basketball has allowed me to travel all over the world like this.” 

The Business and Marketing student told me that he never felt any pressure heading to play ball in the states: “I didn’t really feel pressure from anybody apart from the pressure I put on myself. As long as I dedicate my time to something and work at it as hard as I can, I can live with the results. 

“Being away from home my first year was difficult but it’s something you get used to. I just found it was important to keep myself busy on days I’d feel homesick.”

“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” ― Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Treacy has also represented Ireland, at U17, U18, U20 and Senior level, and says that there’s nothing better than representing your country: “The feeling of putting on the green jersey and hearing the anthem play is like nothing else. I am extremely grateful and proud to be able to represent my country. 

“Being able to represent the senior team this past summer was an amazing experience. Being able to play and compete with a lot of the guys I watched growing up here was awesome. There is a crazy amount of talent on the roster, so it was great to be a part of that. I definitely want to continue to represent the national team as much as I can.”

He’s learning all the time, and knows that he needs to keep working hard if he wants to achieve his goals: “I’ve been working a lot on my body lately and trying to get quicker, But I really try to work on all aspects of my game. It’s important to continue to develop all skills in my opinion.”

Following his time in college, I wanted to know what his ultimate goal was: “I am usually more focused on short term goals, but professional basketball is absolutely my plan once I finish out my collegiate career. Like I said, I just have to work as hard as I can and focus on that process. The results will take care of themselves. I want to maximise my potential and play at the highest level that I can.”