Nate Mason signed with Minnesota over offers from Kansas State, Virginia, Clemson, Memphis and many others.
Nate Mason, a senior point guard from Jacksonville (FL) Arlington Country Day, signed with Minnesota in the fall and recently led his team to victory against Sunrise Christian Academy televised nationally on ESPNU.
Gopher Hole caught up with Mason Thursday evening to learn the latest on his senior season.
Gopher Hole: A lot of the Gopher fans on the message boards were very impressed with your play in the nationally televised game. I know that you want to play well every game, but you played against another nationally ranked point guard who you had played against in the EYBL. Did that push you to play even better going against another top playmaker?
Nate Mason: Of course. “Tum-Tum” is a great point guard, but we came out with the victory. That’s all that matters. Playing with the type of guys that I have on my team I have to get everyone involved. I felt that I played an OK game. I could have played better, but we got the “W,” so that was all that mattered.
Gopher Hole: It seemed like, to be honest, that through the first three quarters, you kind of deferred to your teammates, but it seemed like in the fourth quarter, you really picked up your play. Did you realize that if you were going to win that game, you need to step up your game even more?
Nate Mason: Yes, of course.
Gopher Hole: I don’t know if you knew but Minnesota was also recruiting Lourawls “Tum-Tum” Nairn. Did you know that and did that make even you play a little bit harder knowing that the Gophers also looked at him?
Nate Mason: Yes, I knew that. I am a competitor, so I am going to play hard no matter who is on the court.
Gopher Hole: How about your season so far? You are 19-3 and playing extremely well. You just beat perennial power Oak Hill Academy. How pleased are you with how well you are playing?
Nate Mason: We started off slow, but we are starting to play better as a team. Now, our main goal, is to just keeping winning out, so we can get into the ESPN Showcase at the end of the year.
Gopher Hole: You are playing one of the more talented teams in the country. You have Brandon Francis, who is going to Florida and Danta Buford, who is headed to Oklahoma. Do you think that having talented teammates around you now is going to help you at the collegiate level?
Nate Mason: Of course. Playing with these guys in practice, playing with these guys in games, it can’t do anything but better you.
Gopher Hole: What things are you working on to get ready to play at the collegiate level next year?
Nate Mason: My strength. Being a vocal leader on the court. My shooting. Being more consistent.
Gopher Hole: I have an important question to ask you that a lot of Gopher fans want to know. I have seen listed anywhere between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-2? How tall are you really?
Nate Mason: I’m six feet. I’m 6 feet 1, actually. I was measured today and I was 6 foot and ¾.
Gopher Hole: I didn’t know if people were giving you credit for the good hair-do. Have you noticed your height being listed different on the Internet?
Nate Mason: Yes. I have seen that. I have grown over this year. In tenth grade, I was 5-4 or 5-5.
Gopher Hole: What were you as a junior?
Nate Mason: I was like 5-8 or 5-9.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that you might even grow a little bit more?
Nate Mason: Hopefully. Hopefully, that will happen.
Gopher Hole: I know that your goal is to play in the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, that will be played at Madison Square Garden on April 5. Is that something your teammate and coaches are talking about?
Nate Mason: Yes. We are just trying to take one game at a time. We are trying to win every game here on out, so we can get there.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to watch Minnesota on television this year?
Nate Mason: Yes. I’ve watched every game.
Gopher Hole: What have been your impressions so far?
Nate Mason: We are doing good. We let a couple of games slip away, but we are looking good. Hopefully, we can get into the NCAA Tournament.
Gopher Hole: Coach Pitino wants to be more up-tempo than the previous staff, but I don’t think that he has all the players that can make that system work. I think that they feel that you are the type of guard who can make them be even more effective. Is that something that they have told you or that you are looking to show that you can really be a guard who can push the ball?
Nate Mason: Oh, yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir. I think that is why they recruited me, so I can be in the game and get the team going.
Gopher Hole: You were going to play at Montrose Christian, but you ended up at Arlington Country Day. How did you end up there?
Nate Mason: I went to Montrose, but Montrose was in a rebuilding stage. They didn’t have any weights. They didn’t have a schedule. They didn’t have any balls to practice. It was like “It’s my senior year and I want to enjoy it and play with some good players to get better.” I didn’t think that it was the best fit for me,
Gopher Hole: How long were you even at Montrose Christian?
Nate Mason: Three weeks or a month.