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Photo by John Wagner

The highlight reel of Evan Matteson’s childhood is dotted with driveway basketball battles against his brother.

Now he’ll face him every day in practice.

Matteson, the younger brother of Alaska senior Colin, was one of two signings announced by the Alaska men’s basketball team Tuesday.

In addition to the 6-foot-9 Matteson, the Nanooks signed 6-0 point guard Emmanuel Jenkins from Tacoma Community College of Tacoma, Wash.

“We’re just getting started,” Alaska coach Clemon Johnson said. “It’s going to be an exciting year.”

Evan Matteson is the reigning team defensive MVP at Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood, Wash., where he helped the Mavericks to a 23-6 record and set a Western Conference record with 127 blocks this season.

“I definitely see some minutes in him (next season). He came in with the group we had (tryout) last week. He played with these college players and he held his own,” Johnson said. “People were pushing and shoving and he didn’t cower. He did what he did the whole game, which was rebounding and blocking shots.

“Without a doubt, he’s the center of the future. He’s the freshman that we’re going to be building around. He’s the future of the Nanooks basketball program.”

And he’s a formidable foe in a pickup game.

“Our battles in our driveway could be considered some for the ages,” the elder Matteson said. “It always ended up with one of us pretty pissed off at the other one.

“I think (those games) helped my brother mature basketball-wise quicker than other kids.”

Evan said that the “older, stronger” Colin usually got the better of those pickup games.

“They got pretty intense, almost to the point of fighting,” Evan said. “But I love my brother, and I think he helped me grow.”

Now, he’s looking forward to the chance to play alongside him.

“I’ve always wanted to since I was a little kid, but I never got a chance to since he was so much older than me,” the 17-year-old Evan said.

While Johnson looks at Matteson as the future of Nanooks basketball, Jenkins is the present.

And in Johnson’s view, a very promising present at that.

The Nanooks head coach, and former center in the National Basketball Association, said Jenkins’ game would be good enough for the NBA, if he were just a bit taller.

“I saw this cat play and I smiled. He was one of the individuals I brought in over the weekend (and there) he did a move that few NBA point guards can make,” Johnson said. “I remember seeing (former Philadelphia 76ers point guard) Maurice Cheeks do it — he started toward the basket and he got cut off. So, he gave a motion like he was going to go back and run a play and when the defense relaxed for a split second, he was laying it up. I said, ‘Hey we got a point now.’ And he’s very excited about being here.”

Jenkins led the 34-team Northwest Athletic Association of Community College with a 25.3 points per game average. He also tallied 5.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, earning his team’s Most Valuable Player award.

Jenkins, who played his high school ball at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma, spent his freshman year playing NCAA Division I ball at Portland State University before transferring to Tacoma Community College.

With two years of eligibility remaining, Jenkins fills a big hole for the Nanooks. Even before freshman Keven Campbell left the team, Johnson had an experienced point guard near the top of his wish list.

“All starting positions are going to be open, but right now, I think the point guard position is Emmanuel’s to lose,” Johnson said. “Emmanuel is not cat quick, but cheetah quick. He is Ferrari quick. He passes the ball well and he also scores from various positions — using his feet and speed to get to the basket, as well as 3-point range jump shots.”

In fact, Jenkins wowed Johnson so much on the offensive end when Johnson brought him up here last week for tryouts, Johnson approached the point guard about moving to take on the shooting guard role. But Jenkins declined, saying he’d been training his whole basketball career to play the point.

And with his speed, Johnson sees him as perfect for the uptempo style the Nanooks want to run.

“That’s his style of play, he wants to run,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he hopes to sign five more players, and they’ll all share one quality — the desire to run.

“Needless to say, there’s still other pieces out there,” Johnson said. “We should have six new faces out of the JUCO level that will be on the Nanooks’ team next year, and all of them have been informed that if you can’t run, you’re in the wrong place.”

With Matteson and Jenkins signed, and a few more on their way, Johnson is excited for the upcoming year, and has a piece of advice for Alaska fans: “I want the community to know they need to get the season tickets early.”