As the son of former ASU player Alton Mason, Altson Mason said that he was never pressured to follow in his father's footsteps. Nonetheless, playing in front of family in this new Big 12 chapter in the Arizona State program was just one of the aspects that led the Missouri State guard to decide to play his last year of eligibility in Tempe.
With the losses of Frankie Collins and Braelon Green to the transfer portal, it was important for the Sun Devils to shore up their backcourt. Landing Mason can go a long way in accomplishing that feat.
Mason signed with Oklahoma after graduating from Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, KS. After spending one year with the Sooners, he transferred to Missouri State. Last year for the Bears, the 6-2 guard averaged 17.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists and was an All-MVC selection. Mason shot 42% from the field, 35% from three-point range and 78% from the line.
“It means a lot to me; it's more than just a commitment,” Mason said. “It’s family, it’s tradition, and it’s legacy. This is a big-time thing for me. Arizona State recruited me right after I entered the portal, and the whole staff was recruiting me. Playing under a coach like Coach Hurley, who's a point guard kind of similar to me, who won two national titles and played in the NBA, that's all things that I want. He laid out a development plan and showed me a plan of how the team would look and how he saw me fit in there. And that just resonated a lot with me.
“The style of play fits me a lot. Seeing how he saw how Coach Hurley developed his guards and seeing my play style fits in there with coming off screens, shooting, and breaking down defenses. It was a perfect match. The visit felt like home.”
It is evident that family is important to Mason, and being able to follow in his dad’s footsteps was never a course of action he felt forced to take, but it was still an element that was near and dear to his heart.
“I think that's amazing being able to understand that my dad was here at some point playing in the same position that I was,” Mason explained. “I know it means a lot to me, and it means a lot to him. It means a lot to my family, being able to play in front of them and do it in a different time period, whereas Arizona State is in the Big 12. It's just an exciting time right now. And I'm excited.”
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!
