On Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, Central Bucks West senior Makenzie Mason was recognized for committing to continue her basketball career at the University of Scranton. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Makenzie Mason – University of Scranton (Basketball)
Major: Occupational Therapy
Final list of colleges: Scranton, Philadelphia University, Nazareth College
Reasons for choosing Scranton: “I picked Scranton because overall it’s a small school, but it gives you that big school feel. They have big buildings with nice facilities, and they just built a new OT-PT exercise science building which is all new state-of-the-art, so that was a big ticket. It’s close, and they have a strong basketball team as well.”
What was the progression that led you to playing basketball at the collegiate level? “It was always in the back of my mind because I couldn’t really see myself not playing, not being on a team, so that was one of the main things. I started off at the beginning of my high school career thinking maybe I’d want to go D-1, but I think more towards the end, I didn’t want basketball to be the sole purpose for me going to a school. I thought Scranton would be a nice fit. It’s a competitive program, yet academics is there as well.”
Coach Terry Rakowsky: “Makenzie did everything you’d expect from a senior leader. She was our leading scorer, our leading rebounder and she was a leader. It’s tough being the only senior – it’s not easy to do that. We had a lot of young kids, and she got some help from our other captains but probably not as much as another senior would have been able to give her. We changed her role from the year before, and she did everything we asked her to do. She’s a great kid.”
Montgomery Fusion AAU coach Brian Duross says: “Makenzie has a good all-around game. Our team talks about hustle plays all the time, and she really became one of the best we had over the last two years at making the hustle plays - picking up the loose ball or running down the ball or diving in the pile. She was a good player when she came to our team, and she just kept getting better. One of the things she did the most – which we really try to get kids to do – is just be willing to change how you play. Not that what you’re doing is bad, but if you always go right, go left too. Just the little things, and Makenzie is a big little things player. She really does a lot of little things well and makes those hustle plays, and it really added to her game.
“She’s one of those kids that can pretty much play any position. Even though she’s not a five, if we’re stuck, we can put her down there. She could figure it out. She’s a really good kid, a good team player. I was really happy to have her.”
About Makenzie:
Favorite food: Any type of seafood
Favorite movie: Anchorman
Favorite music: 70s or 80s
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