Lang embracing every challenge at Eagles

Image credit: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

Matthew Lang is embracing every challenge thrown his way at the East Perth Eagles in his first season in the NBL1 West after knowing he wanted to be part of it when recruited in person in the off-season.

Having grown up in Portland, Oregon, Lang attended big time schools Gonzaga and Arizona for a five-year college career before then starting his professional career internationally firstly in Kosovo and then Montenegro.

It's fair to say that both in terms of the basketball and lifestyle, coming to Australia to play at the Eagles in the NBL1 West couldn’t be more contrasting to that first season overseas for the versatile 25-year-old combo guard.

However, from the moment the Eagles reached out to him, he knew that he wanted to try living in Australia, he wanted to play basketball in the NBL1 and he wanted to be part of what the Eagles were building with Carl Filpo as coach and his wife Mia as the club's president.

As soon as Lang knew there was interest from East Perth he felt like it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Once the Filpos arrived to visit him in person to secure his signature, he knew he couldn’t find a better club to want to be part of.

"Honestly, the opportunity to play professional basketball while living somewhere as beautiful as Australia was hard to pass up," Lang said.

"I’d heard great things about the basketball scene here, and once I spoke to the coaching staff and saw their vision, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of.

"That was pretty special (being visited in person). You don’t see that often, especially at this level, so it definitely showed me how serious and committed they were.

"It meant a lot that they made that effort — it gave me a strong feeling that this was the right place and that they really believed in what I could bring to the team."

Lang is now five games into his NBL1 career at the Eagles and is averaging 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting the three ball especially impressively going at 43 per cent and also he is yet to miss a free-throw (touchwood).

He has been asked to take on a more significant role in recent weeks too since a hamstring injury to captain and starting point guard Taylor Young, but he's happy to do whatever is asked of him.

Lang has been asked to play key defensive roles on gun scorers or point guards like Elijah Pepper, Ethan Elliott, Lachlan Bertram or Isaac White already this season, and he's up for whatever challenge comes his way.

"It’s a challenge, but one I welcome," Lang said.

"I’ve always taken pride in being a two-way player and doing whatever the team needs — whether that’s guarding the best player, setting guys up, or looking to score.

"With Taylor out, I know I’ve had to step up even more, but I trust my preparation and I’m just focused on helping us compete every night."

As a team, it hasn’t been the start to the season that East Perth were hoping for on the back of a return to the finals in 2024 for the first time in a decade.

With Lang one of the new faces along with fellow import Max Rice, Ioannis Dimakopoulos, Chier Maker and the returning Lee Roberts, Taylor Young, Sharif Watson and Nick Filpo, there's no shortage of talent or experience on this Eagles team.

That's why Lang is still confident that East Perth have time to get their season back on track to improve on their 1-4 record starting with the trip to Geraldton this Saturday night to take on the Buccaneers.

"It’s definitely been a challenging start, but I’ve really enjoyed it. The group has been welcoming, and I can see the potential in this team," he said.

"We’ve had some close games and a few tough breaks, but I feel like we’re building something that will come together soon.

"It’s always going to take a little time when you bring new guys together, especially in a league like this where roles can shift quickly. But the pieces are there.

"The more time we spend together on the floor, the more comfortable we’re getting — I think it’s only a matter of time before it starts showing up in the win column."

Lang wasn’t quite sure what his professional basketball career might look like once he finished up his 2022/23 season at the University of Arizona having been at Gonzaga University for the previous four seasons.

Then he felt like his first experience in Europe firstly in Kosovo and then Montenegro was an eye-opening one that helped him be more prepared for what was to come on his first foray to play in Australia.

"It was a big adjustment," Lang said.

"Coming from college in the US, everything in Kosovo and Montenegro — the culture, the language, even the style of basketball — was totally different.

"But it forced me to grow quickly, both on and off the court. I learned a lot in that time, and I think it prepared me well for whatever came next, including this opportunity in Australia."