AJ Matthews, Ryan Davis excel for Farmingdale

Farmingdale State basketball coach Erik Smiles has found that good things can come in small -- and very large -- packages.

Smiles was relaxing at home one spring afternoon when a call came from Queensborough Community College coach Larry Dantzler. "He said, 'I got a call from a guy saying he needs a school for his son and his son's friend,' " Smiles said. "He said, 'One's a guard, one's a 7-foot kid.' First, I had to make sure I didn't fall off my couch."

Smiles recognized the names of 7-foot AJ Matthews, who played at now-shuttered Van Arsdale High School in Brooklyn, and 5-9 Ryan Davis, a former PSAL All-Queens performer at Bayside High.

Charles Davis, Ryan's father, had phoned the Queensborough coach trying to find a four-year college for his son and Matthews, both transfers from two-year Broward CC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Davis didn't realize that Queensborough was a two-year school. Dantzler suggested Farmingdale State and told Davis he would contact Smiles.

Dantzler recalled Smiles saying: " 'Oh, my God, is this for real?' ''

Dantzler added, "Smiles has been good to our program. I'm glad it worked out for him."

After Broward, the players had hoped to attend Division I Fairleigh Dickinson. "It was done, they were committed, I was excited," FDU coach Greg Vetrone said.

But the pair did not graduate with a two-year degree, Smiles said. "To play Division I, you have to have an associate's degree. They also did not have enough transfer credits to go to Division II, so they were kind of pigeon-holed to the Division III level, where they had enough credits to be eligible."

FDU's loss has become Farmingdale's very significant gain. Matthews is averaging 23.0 points, 14.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in six games for the Rams (6-2). Davis is averaging 5.8 assists, with most going to Matthews. Said Smiles, "I would expect them to be one of the best inside-out tandems in the region, if not the country, at our level."

Vetrone wishes nothing but the best for the players, saying, "Ryan's a tough kid who would have brought leadership. AJ would have been an all-conference player for us.''

Smiles said Matthews is a polished player. "He can face up and knock it down anywhere from 5 to 18 feet out,'' he said. "He does a great job of finishing with both hands around the basket. He's got good footwork, he makes his free throws. He's 7 feet tall and can run like a deer . . . Whether it's the NBA or overseas, you are looking at someone who can make a career out of it.''

Edward Butler, who runs a collegiate scouting service in New Jersey, said of Matthews: "He was a big-time recruit a couple of years ago in NYC [where, according to the PSAL, he averaged 25 points and 22 rebounds as a senior]. He's very athletic and talented. He should dominate at that level.''

Matthews had 19 rebounds and eight blocks against NYU-Poly on Dec. 1. "He's a great, wonderful player,'' NYU-Poly coach Nolan Adams said. "He's a legitimate D-I player. Right now he's the best player in our conference.''

Matthews seems content to play at this level, saying, "You just have to take advantage of where you are at. I don't pay attention to Division I. It's all the same to me, basketball.''

He did not play basketball until his junior year of high school. "I went to the gym one day, made a layup and the coach said, 'You're on the team.' '' Davis encountered Matthews in a summer league when both were in high school. "I see this 7-footer on our team,'' Davis said. "He was a beast back then. He would do anything he wanted.''

They became close friends but parted for different colleges. Davis spent two years at Broward, but after graduating from high school in 2007, Matthews briefly attended a junior college in Tallahassee, Fla., where he and the coach, Eddie Barnes, said the player did not meet the school's eligibility requirements.

"We had a wonderful relationship with him,'' Barnes said. "I think he is now just finding himself. He has all the potential in the world.''

Matthews then went to Garden City (Kan.) CC, where he stayed for summer courses. He said the location was too remote. "I don't think he enjoyed it, that's why he's not here,'' coach Kris Bauman said.

Matthews finally played one season, 2009-10, at Monroe College in the Bronx. He decided to leave, saying "it was too cold'' in winter. Coach Jeff Brustad said he was sorry to see him leave. "He did a decent job in the classroom. Oklahoma State and UMass had interest in him,'' Brustad said. "I think he could be a professional.''

Matthews reunited with Davis at Broward, averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds and earning conference player of the year honors last season.

Matthews' mother, Lisa Childress, is glad her son has settled in at Farmingdale. "He was switching from school to school to school and I didn't understand that,'' she said. "I said whatever is best for him, I'm going to go with him and hopefully he makes the right decisions. Now I think he's doing well.''

Matthews is sure Farmingdale will be his last stop on the college trail. "I'm not worrying about where I'm going next year. I'm here,'' he said. "I'm fine where I'm at now.''