On Friday, April 1, 2022, Upper Moreland senior Matt Tiernan was recognized for committing to continue his basketball career at Juniata College.
Matthew Tiernan – Juniata College (Basketball)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Juniata, Elizabethtown, Marywood, Franklin & Marshall
Reasons for choosing Juniata: “Juniata was the right place because definitely the feeling I got on campus, all the academic programs they offer that I’m interested in and would suit me well in the future, and I felt a really good connection with the guys on the team when I was there.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in basketball at the collegiate level? “I didn’t know until towards the end of my junior season, which is really late. I was always unsure if I was going to play a sport or what sport to play until I had a good year my junior year. It was a short season, and it went right into AAU. I made a really good AAU team, and then coaches started reaching out, and it worked itself out for me.”
Coach Dan Heiland says: “Matt was – if not our key piece this past season – definitely one of those guys. He’s been an integral part of the program the last three seasons as a starter. Something people talk about - and I definitely talk highly about Matt on this is his work ethic. A lot of people see him on the floor and the things he does and the tremendous basketball player that he is, but that doesn’t happen without the things he does behind the scenes when all the people aren’t watching him in the stands. The coming in early to practice, getting shots up, working on post moves. Staying late to do the same things, just continuing to grind and work on his craft. He’s come a long, long way.
“For me as a coach, it’s fun and exciting to watch these kids come in as freshmen and then dedicate themselves to the game and grind. Matt is definitely one of the kids that embraced the challenges he had to face. It’s not easy, but he’s one of those kids – he’s never going to back down. He was a huge piece. You don’t get many Matt Tiernans to come through your program. He’s obviously a big piece of our team that we’re going to lose going into the next season. I have nothing but high praise for Matt. I could talk for hours about Matt. He’s just a great kid, a great role model, a great teammate. His leadership on and off the floor - it’s one of those things – when you’re a leader like Matt and a two-year captain, he might not speak a lot, but when he does, he draws the attention of everyone because it means something when he’s speaking. He’s just a tremendous basketball player and an even better young man. I’m excited for his future at Juniata.”
About Matt:
Favorite food: Chicken sandwich
Favorite movies: The Maze Runner series
Favorite music: Rap/Rock
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