BY: RILEY PENDLETON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo: @LethalShooter_ / X
Jordan Gathers was a 6’3 guard who played in 36 games for the Bonnies throughout 2012-2014. Gathers averaged a respectable 6.5 points a game, giving the Bonnies a steady ball handler off the bench. Gathers would play a vital role for the team as they became the 2012 A-10 champions.
After graduating from Bonaventure in 2014, Gathers transferred to Butler University for his last year of eligibility. Here, Gathers would play a similar role, averaging 13 minutes a game coming off the bench for the Bulldogs.
In Gathers’ career post-Bonnies, he made strides working for Venue Parks and Arts for the City of South Bend, according to the South Bend Tribune. Gathers served as deputy chief of staff here from 2020 until early 2023. In May of 2023, Gathers was appointed as the executive director where he would take steps towards improving youth programs and launching a $25 million Dr. Martin Luther King Center.
Next up is Tyler Relph. Throughout 2005-2008 with the Bonnies, Relph was featured in 76 games, starting 53 of them. In his senior year campaign, Relph would average 11.9 points per game while also leading the nation in shooting 94% from the line.
After graduating, Relph joined Bonnies head coach Mark Schmidt’s coaching staff for a season. As Director of Player Personnel and Managers, Relph was given the responsibilities of practice and game film breakdown, recruiting and supervising players’ classroom and workout schedules. This would prepare Relph for his next step.
After a season of coaching for the Bonnies, Relph moved to Texas to start the Tyler Relph Basketball Academy, according to his website. Here, Relph became one of the most respected trainers in the industry, going on to work with players such as Amar’e Stoudemire, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart.
Chris Matthews, also known as “Lethal Shooter,” spent 2008-2010 with the Bonnies. The Reilly Center is where Matthews would become one of the best shooters Bonaventure had seen. As a senior, Matthews averaged 12.6 points per game while shooting over 39% from behind the arc. Matthews hit a total of 101 3-pointers, still standing second in the Bonnies’ single-season history.
Matthews would then go on to play basketball internationally in France, Russia and China. He would continue to set records, garnering the nickname “Lethal Shooter.”
After his playing career, Matthews began working as a shooting coach. Today, he is one of the most sought-after shooting coaches in the world, working with numerous NBA stars such as Jaylen Brown, Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis.
Matthews may have developed this reputation as one of the best shooters in the world over time, but his stretch at Bonaventure solidified his legacy as “Lethal Shooter” for the Bonnies nation for years to come.
