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A 2004 graduate of Centralia High School, the 6-foot-7 Shaw became one of the most dominant players in the storied history of the Centralia basketball program.
A three-year, varsity starter, Shaw was the leading scorer and rebounder as a sophomore when the 2001-02 Orphans went 27-6 and placed third in the IHSA Class 2A State Tournament. By the time his career as an Orphan was complete, Shaw had amassed 1,528 points, good for fourth on the all-time scoring list behind only fellow Hall of Famers Dike Eddleman, Bobby Joe Mason and Rick Garrett.
A two-time Most Valuable Player in the Centralia Holiday Tournament, Shaw also was named co-MVP of the South Seven Conference
his senior year (2004). Matt was named
First Team All-State by the IBCA-(Illinois
Basketball Coaches Association) and Second
Team All-State by the Associated Press the
same year.
The SIU Saluki
website, writing about his career at CHS,
"(Shaw) helped lead his team to a 22-8 record and the sectionals as a senior...Averaged 18.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg as a junior in 2003 and earned second-team all-state honors...Ranked as the eighth-best senior in state of Illinois by the Rick Bolus recruiting service...As a sophomore, he helped lead Centralia to a 27-6 record and third place at the state tournament, while averaging 14.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg...An honors student and member of National Honor Society."
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CHS coach Chuck
Lane had this to say about Matt:
"Coaching Matt Shaw was truly a
privilege. He modeled all the
qualities you want in a player - tenacity,
an unmatched work-ethic, very coachable, and
extremely unselfish. In fact, he was
the only player I ever had to threaten to
take out of a game unless he shot the ball
more."
After high school, Shaw made local basketball fans happy by staying close to home to play his college ball at SIU-Carbondale. Becoming starter for the Salukis midway through his freshman season, the forward was a big reason why SIU-C advanced to three NCAA Tournaments in his career. He ended his career in Carbondale with 1,363 points, a total that was good for 17th best in school history.
In 2013 Shaw was
elected to the Southern Illinois University
"All-Century" Basketball Team,
along with fellow Centralians Dick
Garrett and Rick
Shipley. read
more
Basketball gave Shaw the opportunity to see the world upon leaving SIU, as he played professionally in Spain, Portugal and Angola.
In 2011 he was
named Defensive Player of the Year by
EuroBasket.com (LPB
2011 Awards),
as well as being named to the All-Imports
Team and All-Defensive Team the same year
(playing for Académica). That year he
averaged 18 ppg & 9 rpg.
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