Matthew Graves was announced as the 27th head coach of the Indiana State men's basketball program by Interim Athletic Director Angie Lansing on April 12, 2024. Graves initially joined the staff as associate head coach in March of 2021. Graves, a Switz City native and Butler alumnus, brings a wealth of knowledge as a former head coach, an assistant with over a decade of experience and a Wabash Valley native.
Graves completed his first season as head coach of the Sycamores with a 14-18 overall record, going 8-12 in the Missouri Valley. His Sycamores finished first in the Valley and 36th in the nation in points per game (80.1), second in the MVC and 22nd in the nation in threes per game (10.1), and ninth in the nation in tempo. The 2024-25 squad had Samage Teel, an All-MVC First Team section and Newcomer Team selection - and he was named to the NABC Division I All-District Second Team. Jaden Daughtry was named to the MVC All-Bench and Most Improved Teams.
In his third year on staff, Graves helped coach the 2023-24 Sycamores to new heights, winning the second-most games in program history with a 32-7 record. Indiana State won the regular season MVC title and reached the MVC Championship Game. Indiana State earned a No. 1 seed in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and won four straight to reach the program's first NIT title game, defeating SMU, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Utah along the way. The Sycamores led the MVC in back-to-back seasons in scoring offense (84.4), field goal percentage (50.5%), assists (594), and three-pointers made (427). Indiana State's 427 triples led the country, with the second-closest being Alabama at 413. ISU and Alabama were the only programs in the nation with more than 400.
In his second year on head coach Josh Schertz’s staff, Graves helped guide the Sycamores to a 23-13 record with a 13-7 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action--a 12-win improvement overall and nine-win improvement in the Valley from year one to year two--and their first postseason appearance since 2014 followed by their first postseason win since 2001 after defeating USC Upstate in the First Round of the CBI.
With the assistance of Graves in his second year on staff, Indiana State set a program record for three-pointers in a single season (340) and led the Valley in scoring and field goal percentage. ISU’s leading scorer Courvoisier McCauley was named MVC Newcomer of the year, marking just the third Sycamore ever to win the award and the first since 1988. In addition to McCauley, three other Sycamores earned All-Conference recognition as Cameron Henry was named All-Conference Third Team, Robbie Avila All-Freshman Team, and Julian Larry All-Defensive Team.
Graves has spent over 20 years in the coaching industry, most recently serving as special assistant to the head coach at Xavier University prior to Indiana State. Well known for his X’s and O’s acumen, Graves helped direct an offense that led the Big East in assists per game (17.57), finished second in the Big East in field goal percentage (.458) and fourth in scoring (74.8 points per game), while also assisting with a defense that ranked second in field goal defense (.413).
Prior to his two seasons with the Musketeers, Graves spent a year working in the Missouri Valley Conference at Evansville in 2018-19. In his lone season with the Purple Aces, UE was second in the Valley in scoring (69.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (34.2 rebounds per game).
One of Graves’ best attributes is his experience in the head coaching chair, spending five years as the head coach at the University of South Alabama from 2013-2018.
Graves spent nearly two decades making a name for himself at Butler, first as a student-athlete and then as an assistant coach. He began his coaching career as coordinator of basketball operations in 2001 under Todd Lickliter, and was promoted to associate head coach in 2010 by Brad Stevens.
With Graves on staff, the Bulldogs made a national tournament in each of his last eight seasons and achieved eight straight seasons with 20-or-more wins. The highlight of his tenure at his alma mater came as appearances in back-to-back NCAA Tournament Championship games in 2010 and 2011.
Before his coaching days, Graves was a highly decorated student-athlete for Butler. He was the third-leading scorer of the 1996-97 team that won the Horizon League and earned the Bulldogs their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 35 years. The sharpshooting guard was named Butler’s Most Valuable Player a season later, leading the Bulldogs to a return trip to the NCAA Tournament while leading the Horizon League in free throw shooting and being named All-Tournament team. He finished his playing career with 994 points. Graves graduated from Butler in 1998 with a bachelors degree in education (chemistry) and earned his master's degree in education administration in 2003.
