Jesuit Dallas Athletics

Matt Delzell was welcomed onto the varsity team as a sophomore, a significant feat for a Jesuit Dallas basketball program that topped 20 wins regularly and expected to compete for a state championship every March. Delzell was a terrific playmaker and his run as a three-year varsity player was capped by an outstanding senior season in which he captained Jesuit Dallas to its first No. 1 ranking in the Texas State Private School Basketball poll. Led by a typically-strong performance by Delzell, the Rangers knocked off Houston St. Thomas, 70-54, to win the program’s second TCIL state crown in three years and 12th overall.

Eschewing opportunities to potentially play elsewhere, Delzell decided to walk on at the University of San Diego. Despite being a walk-on for the Toreros in 1999, Delzell ended up starting 25 games as a freshman, and emerged as a cornerstone for one of the most memorable teams in the University’s history.

Delzell was a steady force for the Toreros. He played in 115 career games, and scored over 600 points. He was selected captain of the Toreros as a senior and named co-MVP by coaches and teammates following his senior season. 

After moving to the starting point guard slot midway through his final campaign, USD went 12-3, and set the stage for an unforgettable WCC Tournament run. In the semifinals against Saint Mary’s, Delzell delivered a season and game-high 20 points, knocking down all five of his three’s to push the Toreros into the championship. The next night, USD punched its first ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 16 years after a stunning, 72-63, victory over top-seed Gonzaga.

Delzell was outstanding in the classroom, and was a two-time selection as USD Student-Athlete of the Year. He was selected as the Student Athlete of the Year in the WCC as a senior, and became just the second player in the history of the West Coast Conference to be named to the league’s All-Academic team four straight years. 

During his senior campaign in which he averaged 8.1 points and ranked in the top 10 of the WCC in assists per game (3.6), Delzell shot 48% from behind the arc to finish fifth in the nation in three-point shooting.