ATHLETE PROFILE: Brad Matta

After six months of training and games, the men’s basketball team’s season is finally winding down. The team has had one of its better seasons, currently with a 12–11 record with one more game to play. Last week, The Tartan sat down with senior guard and co-captain Brad Matta, to talk about the Tartans’ season, and where he’s headed after Carnegie Mellon.

Tartan: When did you start playing basketball and why?
Matta: I started playing in about second grade pretty much just because my mom went out and signed me up for a whole bunch of sports. I tried wrestling in like, third grade, and when I found out it was nothing like the WWF, I quit. It’s the only sport I’ve quit. I was so disappointed.

T: Was basketball part of your decision to come to Carnegie Mellon?
M: Yes. I wanted to play basketball no matter where I went, and when I lined up the schools I was looking at, Carnegie Mellon just stood out as the best.

T: Other than basketball, do you have any hobbies?
M: Well I love the HBO series The Sopranos, so I watch that a lot, and then I’m really interested in politics, on both the local and national levels.

T: Do you have a favorite place that you’ve gotten to travel to for basketball?
M: I don’t really have a favorite place so much as favorite memories. Like over Christmas one year, we played Princeton and won, and we went out to eat at some restaurant after, and everyone there asked us who we played, and when we told them we beat Princeton, everyone started cheering for us, because apparently they all hate Princeton kids.

T: The season is almost over; have you particularly enjoyed the season? Do you have any goals for these last few games?
M: I’ve really enjoyed playing basketball the past few years in general; we’ve really accomplished a lot and it’s something I’m proud of. As for goals, not too much in particular; it hit me during the NYU game that my basketball career is almost over, so I really just want to make the most of these last few practices and games.

T: So is there anything surprising people wouldn’t really know about you that you can let slip out?
M: I love listening to techno music to get pumped up, and I will sing pretty much any song made in the 1980s.

I pretty much have the worst voice at Carnegie Mellon. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond is probably my favorite song ever.

T: Do you have any opinion on what the school’s new mascot should be?
M: I would like to see it be a replica of Andrew Carnegie. Something like the University of Massachusetts’ Minute Men — just a giant foam head of Andrew Carnegie with a little body, running around.

T: Have you figured out any of your plans for after graduation yet?
M: Yes. After graduating, I want to go to law school; I just haven’t picked exactly which one yet.

Then I would like to litigate for about 20 years, and ideally, someday, I would love to run for State Senate.