The Chronicle sat down with junior Mason Williams, a 6’3″ forward on WEGO’s Varsity basketball team, to find out more about the sport he plays and where he finds motivation.

When did you start playing basketball?

I really started in eighth grade. I always played, but that’s when I actually hopped on a real team. And when I got into high school, that’s when I started playing seriously.

Did you get into the game by yourself or did someone push you to play?

I really got into it myself ’cause I need a distraction during COVID. I wanted to work on something, so I think I did [basketball] myself, then others around me started pushing me to work harder.

Who pushed you?

Mostly my friends. My coach, he really wanted me to get into it, but my friends from my old school (Dekalb High School) all played basketball, so they wanted me to get better.

When you came into high school, how scared were you about the higher competition you were going to face?

I wasn’t scared at all. I’ve always played against older kids, and that was the main focus: being tougher. So there was nothing to be scared about.

When did you decide to commit more time to your game?

When I realized my potential in it, like when I realized what I could do, that’s when I really started to put more time into [the sport]. Probably around my freshmen year when I went to the high school camp, and when I was playing with Varsity: I realized that there’s a difference between me and some other players. 

Who motivates you to do better, and how?

Just my friends and my coach; they always push me hard and tell me how much potential they see in me.

Who was the best player you ever played?

The best player I’ve probably ever faced was a player from Larkin, the North Dakota commit. That was probably the hardest team ’cause the dude was going, like, D1. He had plenty of offers.

Who do you look up to the most, and why?

Sports-wise, I’ll say Kevin Durant. I love changing my game around him and his mentality. Or Ja Morant.