Matt was a 1997 graduate of Muscle Shoals High School where he was outstanding on the hardwood for the Trojans basketball team. His high school honors included being named to the All-Area Teams in 1996 and 1997 and the 1997 All-State Team. Additionally he was the Times/Daily Player of the year in 1997 And  was MVP of the North/South All-Star Basketball Game that same year. He was also named to the Street and Smith's All-American Team in 1997. After high school he signed a basketball Scholarship to play at Arkansas State, but due to a car accident injury he would return home to play for Nothwest Shoals Community College excelling on the Junior College level and then on to Union University where he would help lead them to the NAIA Sweet Sixteen averaging 10.8 points and 6 rebounds per game. Matt then played professionally in Gottigen, Germany before he began coaching high school basketball at Colbert Heights, Red Bay, and Belgreen.