Nate Camp remembers a conversation he had with Tayler Mattos when he was a freshman.
The two of them, and Mattos’ teammate Tommy Johnson, were walking in the Kearsarge Regional High School gym. Camp, the Cougars’ boys’ basketball coach, pointed to a banner on the wall that listed all of the 1,000-point scorers.
“I looked up at the 1,000-point scorers and I said, ‘You guys could be up there,’ ” Camp recalled.
Mattos’ response: “I don’t want to be on that banner, Coach. I want to be on that banner.”
The banner Mattos was referring to was for the program’s state championships, then empty.
A little over two years later, Mattos achieved that goal, recording 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks in the Division III title game to lift the Cougars to their first title in program history.
Now, Mattos, 22, a New London resident, has fulfilled another dream. On Thursday, he signed a professional contract to play basketball for Bupa Luxxol in Malta.
Bupa Luxxol, also known in English as Luxxol Basketball Sports Club, plays in Malta’s BOV League Division I, the top league in the Republic of Malta, an island nation 50 miles south of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea.
“It was always my goal ever since high school (to play professionally),” Mattos said. “I’m not sure it’s 100% hit me yet.”
Mattos had a distinguished career at Kearsarge, leading the Cougars to back-to-back championship appearances in Division III, prompting Kearsarge’s promotion to D-II, and finishing his career with a 61-23 record. He was named the Division III Player of the Year in 2017 and the D-II Player of the Year in 2018.
Mattos committed to play Division I college ball for Bowling Green State University after graduating from Kearsarge in 2018.
He spent two years with the Falcons, starting 30 of 31 games his sophomore year while leading the team in blocks (24) and finishing second in rebounds (5.1 per game).
Mattos transferred back to the Granite State to play for the University of New Hampshire and started 19 games this past season, averaging 4.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 16 minutes per game on the floor.
After graduating from UNH with a degree in communications in May, he signed with an International Basketball Federation (FIBA) agent.
Teams from Croatia and Kosovo also showed interest in Mattos, but Bupa Luxxol’s one-year rookie contract was the first official offer on the table.
“What they like about me is that I’m a versatile big man,” said Mattos, a center who stands at 6-foot-11 (he was 6-9 in high school). “They like the way I run the floor and can shoot mid-range and the occasional 3.”
Mattos’ playing style should transition well to the European brand of basketball that focuses more on-ball movement up the floor, as opposed to the one-on-one style more common in the United States.
“My agent has explained a lot. And two of my teammates are playing overseas right now,” Mattos said.
Former Bowling Green teammate and point guard Dylan Frye is entering his third year of professional basketball in Romania.
“I’ve heard that every league can be a little bit different,” Mattos said. “I’ve also heard that there’s a lot more ball movement in European leagues. Usually the talent is a little more spread out, as opposed to going one-on-one every possession. … My goals for this year basketball-wise are to produce at a high level and be one of the best players in the league. I hope to have a lot more opportunities next year.”
Playing in the Maltese league puts Mattos in much closer proximity to scouts from Europe’s top-tier leagues in Italy, Spain and Germany, and Mattos hopes to one day play for one of the continent’s higher-level teams.
But for now, he’s eager to start a new adventure as a professional athlete. The Bupa Luxxol president arranged his flights and already has an apartment for him. He leaves on Sept. 14.
“Another goal outside of basketball is to have some cool experiences, experience a new culture and just live,” Mattos said.
The island of Malta will surely be a different life than the one he has known and loved in New Hampshire.
“He’s such a loyal 603 kid,” Camp said. “It just tells you a lot about who he is as a person. He’s very much about where he came from, and I love that about him. At any point he could’ve gone to a private school. He could’ve gone to a NEPSAC school that would’ve wanted him, but he stayed local. He stayed here with the public school. I’m so proud of him.”
Mattos is very close to his Kearsarge roots, has stayed in touch with his former teammates and coaches and frequently makes appearances to help with the KRHS basketball program, summer leagues and clinics that Camp runs.
“When (Mattos) is talking to the kids, you can hear a pin drop,” Camp said. “He’s such an inspiration. He’s a legend.”
When asked what lesson he hopes student-athletes can take away from Mattos, Camp’s response was clear: Be a good teammate.
“He’s just all about winning and being a part of something special,” Camp said. “That’s what he’s about. He wanted to work hard and be a good teammate. It was never about him. He didn’t want it to be about him. For kids in high school, it’s nice to pass that along. What can you do for your team. Everyone wants to be good, but can you be a great teammate and lift everyone up. He’s such a humble guy. I’m honored to have coached him.”
Mattos said the main thing “that keeps going through my mind is to remember why I’m there and lock in on my team and be in the best possible mindset to be successful.
“That’s all I really can do,” he added. “It’s crazy. It’s great that I’ve achieved my biggest dream.”