Dec. 6, 2004

LOGAN, Utah - The temperatures in Logan should be around 30 or lower today (Dec. 4). Meanwhile in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the forecast calls for temperatures to be a very comfortable 66 degrees.

While those facts may not effect many people at today's Utah-Utah State game, it is one the mind of one Aggie basketball player.

"One thing that is really, really bad for me is the weather outside," said USU junior center Cass Matheus. "I can't handle it and I stay at home as much as I can."

Matheus (pronounced Muh-tay-us) lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil through high school before coming to the United States to continue his basketball career. Once here, he spent two years in Texas at South Plains Junior College, before venturing to Logan last season.

"Everything else is great," Matheus said. "The people are really, really nice here and you can make friends easier here."

Matheus, who redshirted last season, has been a contributor off the bench in all five games this season. While seeing an average of 13 minutes of action each contest, he has averaged 5.2 points and 1.4 rebounds. He has connected on eight-of-11 field goal attempts, while also making 10 of 13 free throws.

Despite some pretty positive numbers, the 6-10, 245-pounder, has not been pleased with his play.

"I am frustrated about how I am playing," Matheus said. "I keep telling myself to do this, do that. I need to slow down and just let go. I need to quit worrying about it and just play... I am thinking too much. I watched my game tapes when I was 17 and 18, and it was a completely different game. I was just going and shooting from everywhere."

He grew up playing both inside and outside as more of a power forward. When he got to South Plains Junior College, he was moved strictly inside as a low post player. He is still learning to play with his back to the basket.

And while he works on his transition on the basketball court, he is also working on adjusting to a world very different from his life in Brazil. He said language has been one of the most difficult things for him to overcome, saying that the only English he knew before coming here was ketchup, Big Mac and counting to 10.

A contact helped him land at South Plains along with some other Brazilian players.

"The first three or four weeks, everything was great and everything was different and I was enjoying it," he said of being in America. "The next two months became missing home, missing family and friends and missing the food. We had three Brazlians on the team and one manager, so we ended up hanging out together and speaking Portuguese."

While he doesn't have any fellow Brazilians to have as friends here, he still has the opportunity to speak Portuguese with several people on campus.

"A lot of guys here have gone to Brazil on a mission and speak Portuguese and so every day somebody new comes up to me and says hi in Portugese," he said with a smile.

During his junior college career, Matheus was told about Utah State by former Aggie assistant coach and then Georgia head coach Jim Harrick, while Harrick was recruiting one of Matheus' teammates. After watching Matheus play some pickup games, Harrick decided he wanted Matheus at Georgia.

Matheus committed to Georgia, but when the school went on probation and Harrick left, Matheus decided to come to Logan. He sat out last year as a redshirt

"Last year was pretty hard at first because I had to redshirt because of my back injury," Matheus explained. "I was kind of frustrated because I I couldn't play, just watch games and practice. Right now, looking back, I am glad I did it. It was an extra year to learn the system and get better and get stronger. "

"I really enjoy playing with all of the guys," he said about his teammates. "All the guys on this team get along like nothing I have ever seen. It is pretty cool."

And while he is getting more and more comfortable in America, he still misses home and plans to return there with a business administration degree.

"I miss home a lot," he said. "I go home over the summers. Hopefully my mom will come up and watch some games. I miss my sisters and brother. However, year after year it gets easier."