2015 March Madness: Xavier’s Stainbrook Gives Back To Family and Community

MattStainbrook has the look of an old-school NBA veteran. Going back to the days of Horace Grant, the Xavier fifth-year senior wears the infamous basketball goggles, a look that has garnered him about as much attention as his stellar play.Whether or not his style appeals to you, Stainbrook has been a pivotal piece for Xavier’s run to the Sweet Sixteen. The 6’10 forward, who averages 12 points and 6.8 rebounds for the team, is one of the more crucial elements to this Musketeers team.  However, it’s not his basketball skill, or now infamous goggles, that make him the person he is.

Despite being the heart and soul of a strong Xavier squad, Stainbrook is not on a college scholarship. It doesn’t mean he was never offered one, because he was given a full ride through his first four seasons (Stainbrook is a fifth-year senior), but rather he simply gave it to someone who deserved it more, his brother, Tim.

Fearing that he wouldn’t be able to afford an education at Xavier, Matt opted to defer his scholarship to brother Tim, with the hopes of him not having to worry about student loans.

Tim, who has paying  upwards of $43,000 a year for undergrad classes, was in need of financial help. Brother Matt,  hadn’t seen a student loan in his lifetime at the school. Since Matt was paying a much more manageable  $14,000 for his MBA, the decision to give brother Tim his much more lucrative scholarship was a no-brainer.

Being a fifth-year senior has its perks. Matt doesn’t have a lot of classes scheduled, and has plenty of down time. So, what does Stainbrook do to pass the time? Give back to his Cincinnati community. Stainbrook doubles as an Uber-driver for the people of the city.

He essentially serves as a taxi driver for the Cincinnati community, something which not many NCAA athletes can say they have done. Although, MattStainbrook is not your normal college athlete.It’s not everyday that you find a promising basketball talent opt to stay in school. Stainbrook was indeed an NBA talent, and could have been drafted had he decided to declare. Instead, he chose to stay at Xavier, and as a result has the team firing on all cylinders as they attempt to make a run at the Final Four.