Mason Walters making strides at Wyoming men's hoops

LARAMIE, Wyo. — While former University of Jamestown standout Mason Walters’ debut for the University of Wyoming men’s basketball team was delayed, it was worth the wait.

“It was more so, just soak it in and being grateful for the opportunity,” Walters said. “I wasn’t able to play for so long, I couldn’t do stuff for a while. So, having that taken away, makes you appreciate it that much more. … I’m just very blessed to be in the position I am. I am in a great program and I have great teammates and coaches around me. So, I’m just keeping that in mind.”

Walters committed to the Cowboys program for his final year of eligibility on April 12 and was forced to miss the first 11 games of the 2023-24 season due to a thumb injury. Walters said he was officially cleared to return to game action on Monday, Dec. 18, and made his debut on Wednesday, Dec. 20, against South Dakota State University. He said Cowboys head coach Jeff Linder told him he would be in the starting lineup on Dec. 20, during a shootaround.

“In the first game, just I was pretty excited, excited to be out there, a little nervous it being the first game obviously,” Walters said. “I was really excited, it’s been a long time since I’ve played. It was good to be out there with my teammates.”

In his debut against the Jack Rabbits, Walters scored 12 points while grabbing three rebounds and blocking one shot. While he started the game slowly scoring two points in the first half, he picked it up in the second half dropping 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting. Walters said his slow start was attributable to the fact that his last game was on March 14, a span of 281 days. During the second half of the 78-65 win over the Jack Rabbits, there was a stretch of just under a minute where Walters was fouled, hit two free throws, grabbed a defensive rebound and made a 3-pointer.

“I got that first bucket of the second half against South Dakota State, I hit that three and kind of got rolling,” Walters said. “I got a couple stops defensively and felt comfortable and back to normal. So, right in that second half, there was when I felt like I really settled in and was comfortable from there.”

Walters said his parents, Amy and Marty, came down and saw him play his first two games. He said it was special to have them come down to El Paso, Texas, and watch him play.

“We remember the first time he was tipping off for UJ and we laughed about it because he was like a deer in the headlights there as a freshman for the first couple minutes for the first game,” Marty said. “After a while, he started fitting in, got up to speed, he made a couple mistakes. So, it’s a vastly different feeling now. He’s played so long and we know he’s confident in how to play and knows what to do. It was more just pride, anytime you get to watch your kid step on a court like that and the history and teams and the level of talent that’s out there, we’re just so happy for him, all the work he’s put in, you’re just proud as a parent.”

Walters and the Cowboys faced off against the University of Texas at El Paso in his second game. Heading into that game, Walters said he had a more relaxed mindset.

“I mean, just going in, and the same mindset of the game, like I said, being a good teammate, being aggressive and being assertive,” Walters said. “Ultimately it didn’t end the way we wanted it to obviously but just playing my game and being smart, going in there and like you said, a business approach.”

During the game against the Miners, Walters had 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting with three rebounds and two steals.

“I felt like to start the game I was being aggressive and picking my spots,” Walters said. “I got a lot of dribble downs and was able to find my teammates for some open threes and some cuts. I was able to make a couple moves to the basket, seeing a couple go down was nice. Obviously, I got into foul trouble, wish I had been a little bit smarter, hadn’t picked up a couple dumb fouls but that’s the way it goes sometimes, just learn from it and get better as the season goes on.”

When he thinks about what he’s done well through two games, Walters said he has learned how to find his spot within the team and find his shots on the offensive side of the floor.

Through the months that he has been a Cowboy, Walters said he has grown a tremendous amount on and off the floor. He said he is continuing to learn how to play the game like a professional athlete as he chases that dream. During his time off, Walters was spending time with his coaches studying film preparing for his inevitable return.

“Just understanding what my teammates like to get to or how they like to space the floor just helps me that much more when it comes to getting double-teamed and passing out of it,” Walters said. “So I think to be able to watch those clips and film with coach (Linder) has helped me a bunch. I’m gonna keep doing that and keep learning as much as I can because I want to keep getting better, I just want to be a sponge and soak up as much information as I can.”

During his career as a college basketball player, Walters has now played in 119 games at the NAIA level and two at the NCAA Division I level.

“Size is and athleticism is one of the biggest ones (differences between the levels),” Walters said. “I mean, I’ve been able to get up and down and we played really fast at Jamestown so in terms of the pace, it’s similar. The D1 might be a little faster but not by a long stretch, so it wasn’t too fast out there for me. I guess, just in terms of size and athleticism, the guards are a lot bigger and the posts are bigger so the biggest things are just size and athleticism I’d say.”

Walters and the Cowboys return to action on Saturday, Dec. 30, when they go to Brigham Young University. Walters said he is looking forward to coming home and seeing his family while still working out in town.