(FREDERICTON, NB).The New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Associaton’s newly crowned High School Basketball Player of the Year for 2022-2023 will continue to wear red, black and white.
6’4” small forward Matthias Muscroft, of Sussex, has signed a U SPORTS Letter of Intent and will join the UNB REDS men’s basketball team ahead of the 2023-2024 Atlantic University Sport season.
“Matthias is as polished a high school player as I’ve seen come out of New Brunswick,” said REDS’ head coach Joe Salerno. “He has a knack for scoring the ball in a variety of ways, and his basketball IQ is extremely high.”
The 17-year-old is finishing his Grade 12 year at Sussex Regional High School, where he averaged 26.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game for the Sonics in 2022-23.
Muscroft also averaged 5.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game and shot 59% from the field.
He’s been invited to play in the 2023 Steele All-Atlantic all-star game, which features the top 20 high school players in Atlantic Canada, and was nominated for the recent BioSteel All-Canadian game.
He was a member of New Brunswick’s 2022 Canada Summer Games Team.
“My strengths would be my ability to shoot,” said Muscroft. “I slow the game down, which can help in close games. Fredericton is great, and the team environment seems very positive.”
Muscroft chose UNB over a number of other U SPORTS options.
“We felt Matthias was the best high school prospect in the province,” said Coach Salerno. “We’re very pleased to get his commitment and to be able to keep that talent here in the province.”
“We’ve been following Matthias since last spring,” added Salerno. “It’s been incredible to watch his growth from then until now.”
Muscroft says his goals for the coming season include adding weight and muscle to help him compete at the AUS level. Longer-term, he says he wants to earn conference all-star status and help UNB win an AUS championship.
“He’s a tremendous basketball player, student and person,” said Salerno. “We look forward to a very long and promising career for Matthias here at UNB.”
Muscroft will study Business while attending UNB.
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics