Recruiting Update: Mason Miller (2019 Thurston HS)
We may not have seen Mason Miller a whole lot this summer. But don’t think the tough 6-foot-8, 245-pound post from Thurston High School wasn’t working hard on his game. Miller equally invested time in his body and his skills on the court on an individual basis, and this past weeked at the Prime Time Top 40 Showcase he was able to show everyone watching the results of the time he has put in.
“I’m just really happy that they invited me and I’m really grateful for the opportunity that they’ve given me,” Miller said. “It’s clearly the best talent in Oregon. I’ve been playing against some of these kids since sixth grade so it’s cool to see the talent and all these kids that I’ve grown up with and played against.”
The showcase comes on the heels of an off-season where Miller only played club hoops briefly – for the Rose City Rebels in the spring – but stayed busy with individual work. “I played a little bit of AAU ball but then decided to take the summer off from organized basketball – the only basketball I played was with my high school (in June),” Miller said. “I just spent the summer lifting weights every day, getting shots up, and expanding my range.”
Miller, who has a 6-foot-11 wingspan, estimates he gained about 15 pounds of muscle over the summer. His outside shot was on point too at the PT40, as in addition to fighting for position and rebounds inside, he faced up and sank a number of perimeter shots including from beyond three-point range.
A high-academic student athlete with a 4.0 GPA, Miller has been receiving college interest from a variety of places and levels, from provisional Division I member UC San Diego, to Division II Point Loma Nazarene, and Division III members Lewis & Clark, George Fox, and the University of Chicago. All the schools seem to fit into what he’s aiming for.
“I’m looking for a great education,” Miller said. “And I’m looking for somewhere that just feels right, where I like the coach, the system they run, and the college – that it’s a good fit. Because in the end it’s not only about basketball, but it’s about you’re a student there too and you’re going to live there the next four years.”
Miller has already taken a visit to Lewis & Clark and also got a feel for Point Loma Nazrene and UC San Diego after participating in elite camps down there. He enjoyed his time on each of those schools and noted that the campuses of all three were beautiful, but he’s not in any rush to make a choice. He is doing the necessary legwork to be prepared when he does though. “Right now I’m filling out applications for all of those schools so I can at least get in academically,” Miller said. “And then I’ll wait out the season and make my decision.”
With any kind of college decision tabled until later, Miller is honing in on the upcoming season where he and the Colts look to defend their 5A state title. “It’s looking bright, Miller said. “We still have Isaac (Lange) and me but we’ve got a new team – it all young guys. But we have a lot of promise and I can’t wait to get started.”
Miller currently ranks as the #11 player in the PrepHoops Class of 2019 rankings.