2023 Recruiting

Patriot8

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
Lowe is planning to come. They both planned visits out courtesy even though we came on late? I hope not. My theory/delusion is he really liked Mason all along and wants his buddy to possibly join in on the ride. The sites go with the local and bigger team early and switch right before he comes to us. Patriot8 hasn't said anything so I'm just holding out hope. Kim has given me hope about the program again so that's good at least.
Let's shift the focus to Ball and White.
 

dr. gunnie

Administrator
Staff member
The more I watch Ball, the more I'm impressed. I don't quite understand why he's such a sleeper. I know Rivals had him in their Top 100 until recently. I think switching AAU teams this summer might have hurt him in the national rankings because he wasn't playing a ton with his new team, but everyone that does see him play comes away impressed. The kid can shoot. Everyone that knows him says he's all about the team and getting better. Really hard worker. Here were my notes on him over the summer:

Austin Ball - 6’7” guard/forward The Miller School - Charlottesville, VA Team Loaded

Led Man High School to the 2021 Class A state title in West Virginia. He decided to transfer to The Miller School and reclassify to the 2023 class. The Miller School is a prep school that normally has a handful of DI players. Last season, Ball led Miller in scoring averaging 12.5 points a game in just 16 min a game (they run a full press line change system).

Miller played in June at the DMV Live at DeMatha. Day 1 they played DeMatha. Ball scored a game high 28 shooting 11-18 from the field and 5-11 from three. Day 2 he scores 19 in a win over St. Stephens St Agnes and a game high 24 (4-10 from three) against Mount St Joseph. On the last day Miller goes against PVI. Ball posts a game high 19 points. The next day, Ball gets offers from Mason, Richmond, Akron, Towson.

He joined Team Loaded in July for the Adidas tournament. He came off the bench and probably didn’t get the playing time he was hoping for, but was always the first off the bench to celebrate and congratulate his teammates - team first guy.

Last summer, Ball had offers from WVU, Virginia Tech, and Marshall. He has also picked up offers from James Madison, Bowling Green, and Coastal Carolina this summer. Was ranked 86 and 88 all last year by Rivals and has since dropped out of the top 100. He has recently said his top 3 are Mason, Richmond, and JMU.
 

dr. gunnie

Administrator
Staff member
I don't have as much info on White as Ball, but here are my notes on him:

Desmond White - 6’2” point guard The Skill Factory Prep - Cherokee County, GA Brad Beal Elite

Dez is around 6’2”/6’3” - is a PG but could play SG as well. He just finished his junior year at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City, MO. Helias is not a basketball power in Missouri, but he led them to their first state title game last year. Had a 50 point game this past season the same night he scored his 1,000th point. He recently decided to transfer to The Skill Factory in Georgia for next season. Played for Brad Beal Elite on the circuit. His shot looks a little unorthodox, but it works for him. He’s an outstanding shooter, especially from long range and can hit well beyond the three point line. Was the 2nd ranked player in Missouri according to Prep Hoops before moving.

During the April/May EYBL circuit for Brad Beal Elite, White averaged 10 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. During that same span, he shot .355 from three. Those average numbers stayed the same in the Peach Jam, but he did raise the three point percentage .385. His best game was against Team Takeover where he connected on 5 of 6 threes and finished with 15 points and 4 assists.

His dad played football at Mizzou, but was raised by his single mom in a tight knit family. Had a Mizzou offer from the old coaching staff. Has other offers from Missouri St, Southern Illinois, Tulsa, FIU, and a few others.
 

Patriot8

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
The support and engagement has been fantastic. Mason fans showed up big, and helped make this a legit fight with TCU for Posey. Doesn't look like Lowe is still planning a visit either, and no, I don't believe the two were tied to each other.

Don't let that discourage you. Landing Top100 guys is never going to be easy. We will continue to go after top targets, and supplement through the portal. The local 2024 class is absolutely loaded. Gotta keep carrying the fight.

Ball and White are both very solid, probably underrated players. I echo Gunnie's thoughts on both. Let's land them, see if anything else shakes out for 23, and then win some ballgames.
 
The support and engagement has been fantastic. Mason fans showed up big, and helped make this a legit fight with TCU for Posey. Doesn't look like Lowe is still planning a visit either, and no, I don't believe the two were tied to each other.

Don't let that discourage you. Landing Top100 guys is never going to be easy. We will continue to go after top targets, and supplement through the portal. The local 2024 class is absolutely loaded. Gotta keep carrying the fight.

Ball and White are both very solid, probably underrated players. I echo Gunnie's thoughts on both. Let's land them, see if anything else shakes out for 23, and then win some ballgames.
So he didn't like the campus or what made him turn back?
 

tblack33

Hall of Famer
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
It’s recruiting — this stuff happens. On to the next one, but we do need to start to lock in commitments here soon as this point in the cycle.

I’ve been high on ball since we got tied to him, hope we can lock him up soon because he’s the type to blow up with a big senior season. Great shooter who could push for some role minutes as a true freshman.
 

gmujim92

Hall of Famer
GIVING DAY 2023
TCU is close to home and in the Big 12?
And their staff had been recruiting Posey much longer than Mason’s … no fan of moral victories, but honestly getting him to take an official visit was an accomplishment considering our staff had no connection to him prior to this summer.

Even being in the final 2 for a recruit of that caliber raises the program’s profile and that can’t be a bad thing.
 
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GMUgemini

Hall of Famer
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
damn shame he and Simp can't take more pics in the 4 hour close to home drive from Houston to Ft Worth next fall

This is called being obtuse for no reason.

I know most on this board are from the DMV, but I want you to think about the difference between a 3 1/2 hour car ride and having to go to the airport to go home (especially right now when airfare is outrageous and flights have been cut).
 

Masonfan3

Starter
This is called being obtuse for no reason.

I know most on this board are from the DMV, but I want you to think about the difference between a 3 1/2 hour car ride and having to go to the airport to go home (especially right now when airfare is outrageous and flights have been cut).

Are we sure that his family is still living in Texas? I mean his Dad is now an assistant with the Wiz...which could be another reason we got a visit to begin with.
 
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