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Xavier center gave up scholarship, became an Uber driver, so his brother could use the scholarship

Matt Stainbrook

Xavier center Matt Stainbrook goes to the basket during practice for an NCAA college basketball tournament game, Monday, March 17, 2014, in Dayton, Ohio. NC State plays Xavier on Tuesday in a first round game. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

AP

Matt Stainbrook

Xavier center Matt Stainbrook goes to the basket during practice for an NCAA college basketball tournament game, Monday, March 17, 2014, in Dayton, Ohio. NC State plays Xavier on Tuesday in a first round game. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

AP

Xavier senior center Matt Stainbrook is the leading returning scorer and rebounder for the Musketeers this season, but the 6-foot-10 big man won’t be on scholarship.

That’s because Stainbrook opted to give up his basketball scholarship in order to give it to his younger brother, Tim, who was a freshman walk-on with Xavier last season. Matt Stainbrook, instead, will be one of the most productive walk-ons in college basketball this season.

According to a very entertaining read from Shannon Russell of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the elder (and bigger) Stainbrook is finishing up his MBA as a fifth-year student and his tuition is far cheaper than the undergraduate degree that his sophomore brother is pursuing.

Also wanting to live off-campus, which is tough to do at Xavier while on athletic scholarship, Matt decided he’d help out his parents and his brother by becoming a walk-on and earning some extra money as an Uber driver to help offset the difference.

“For my MBA, I think it costs about $14,000 a year. For undergrad, which is what Tim’s in, it’s like ($43,000). So even with the scholarship for academics he was getting, which wasn’t a ton, it’s a lot more expensive. I was like, ‘OK, I haven’t had any student loans in the past four years. Tim has worked hard. It’s not like the guy doesn’t deserve it.’ It made sense to me,” Matt Stainbrook said to Russell in the story.

Matt opting to transfer his basketball scholarship to his younger brother is a very generous and responsible move, but the idea of a 6-foot-10 Big East center as an Uber driver is mind-blowing.

Stainbrook told Russell that he’s made 100-plus trips as an Uber driver using his 2004 Buick Rendezvous and he’s been recognized a handful of times by fans.

Because Uber allows its drivers to work when they want, and log offline if they’re busy, it works out nicely with Stainbrook’s crowded schedule as a basketball player and MBA student.

If you ever had a car on campus as a college student like I did, you know that people will often ask for rides. So why not take advantage of that and make some extra money? Between Stainbrook saving his family money and using the resources he had to his advantage to earn extra money on the side, I’d say he’s going to put that future MBA to good use once he’s finished with his basketball career.

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