By Olivia Todd
Mason Wang, the all-time high scorer for Hood men’s basketball, is looking forward to his next challenge— leading the Blazers to a MAC championship.
As a senior guard, Wang has held several titles: First Team All-MAC Commonwealth Player and single-season leading point holder. Most recently, Wang became the leading scorer in program history with 1,801 career points.
With only a few more regular-season games, Wang is determined to lead Hood to a conference title in his last season as the end is drawing near.
“I’m looking forward to keeping this streak going,” Wang said.
The Blazers are on a seven-game winning streak and are currently ranked first in the MAC with an 11-1 record in conference play. When asked how confident he is about winning the title, Wang said, “I am very confident. I think we have a really good group this year and I think we have a really good chance of winning it all for sure.”
So far this season, Wang has scored 438 points. He leads the Blazers in almost every stat category, including three-pointers, his favorite. Wang also works hard off the court and has made the MAC Academic Honor Roll the past two years.
“I think I’ve really flourished as a basketball player in this program, as well as a student, too,” Wang said.
Wang said that his continuous love of progress and growth is what drives him as an athlete. “It makes me happy just to say that I’ve gotten so much better since I was a freshman,” Wang said.
Wang said that much of his success can be attributed to his twin brother, Evan. When Mason broke the scoring record against York College, it was Evan’s pass to his brother that led to the record-breaking basket.
The twin brothers agreed after high school to go to the same college, wherever that may be. At Hood, they were able to fulfill that goal and have dominated the men’s basketball program for the past five years.
Evan made the All-MAC Commonwealth second team last season and set the school’s single-season assist record at 143 assists. This season he has scored 280 points and has 68 assists.
“Evan makes me a better basketball player,” Wang said. “We always know where each other is on the court. He is one of the best passers I’ve ever played with, and I truly believe he is a huge reason why I am the scorer I am today.”
Chad Dickman, head coach of men’s basketball, spoke of Mason’s positive impact on and off the court.
“Mason’s statistics on the court speak for themselves. He’ll graduate from Hood as the all-time leader in several categories. But he’s also been a great teammate and he’s remained humble despite all the success he’s had,” Dickman said. “He and his brother Evan are both very well-liked on campus and looked up to by teammates.”
Dickman said he appreciates Evan and Mason not only for their skills on the court, but also the impact they have on their teammates in this time leading up to the playoffs.
“He [Mason] and Evan are very competitive, and they won’t be satisfied with anything less than a championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament,” Dickman said. “I hope that this continues to rub off on the younger guys moving forward.”
This is Mason Wang’s fourth season at Hood (the 2020-21 season was canceled because of COVID), and he is expected to graduate this May with a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in marketing.
Although Wang is unsure how basketball will fit into his future, he is certain about the legacy he wants to leave behind at Hood. Wang hopes he is remembered as one of the most hardworking players to ever enter the program and as one who also helped create a winning and competitive environment.
Heading into the last stretch of the regular season, Wang is focused on giving it his all and “Trying to be the best player on the court that given night or day.”
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