in a game since Glenn Robinson III and Trey Burke did so for the 2012–13 National Runner-up Wolverines on January 6, 2013. On December 21, Michigan defeated the previously winless Alabama A&M Bulldogs 97–47 as Matthews posted 31 points, another career high. Matthews tallied 20 or more points six different times before the final four, but none in 2017–18 Big Ten Conference play, where he never scored more than 16 points. Matthews averaged 10 points and 5.5 rebounds during Michigan's four games in the 2018 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament, helping the team win its second consecutive Big Ten tournament championship. On March 15, Michigan began play in the 2018 NCAA tournament with a 61–47 victory over Montana in the first round, as Matthews posted 20 points and a career-tying 11 rebounds, for his fourth double-double of the season. On March 21, Matthews became an Academic All-Big Ten honoree. On March 24, Michigan defeated Florida State 58–54 in the West regional finals. Michigan, who established a single-season school record 32 wins with the win, was led by Matthews with 17 points. Matthews, who averaged 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds to lead Michigan in the first four games of the NCAA tournament, was named West Region Most Outstanding player. On March 31 in the national semifinals, Matthews contributed 17 as Michigan defeated Loyola–Chicago 69–57. The team lost in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game to (#2 Coaches Poll/#2 AP Poll) Villanova. For the tournament he averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. For the season, he averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. Since the team reached the championship games of both the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA Tournament, Matthews shares the Michigan (and NCAA) single-season games played record (41) with teammates Robinson, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson. Members of the 2010–11 Connecticut Huskies also played 41 games (an NCAA record). Following the season he declared for the 2018 NBA draft without hiring an agent. He didn't receive an invitation to the NBA Draft combine. Nonetheless, he had workouts with multiple NBA teams. In the 2017 draft class, 84 of the 137 underclassmen that declared were not invited to the NBA draft combine and only 4 remained in the draft. None of the four was drafted in the 2017 NBA draft. Matthews withdrew from the 2018 NBA draft. Junior year Matthews was