Chet Mason Named One of 18 Of The Last 9
9/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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OXFORD, Ohio—Former Miami University men’s basketball standout Chet Mason was named one of the 18 Of The Last 9 for 2014 by the Miami University Alumni Association.
Based on the popular “30 under 30” model, this year’s group is comprised of 18 young alumni from the past nine graduating classes (2005-2013) and was selected from a nominee pool of more than 120 outstanding young Miamians. While the honorees’ areas of impact vary from medicine and marketing to business innovation, music and more, the common thread among these 18 individuals is they are living out the values inherent in a Miami education.
A former guard for the RedHawk men’s basketball team, Mason went on to play professional basketball in the NBA’s D-league for two seasons and spent some time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has also achieved success playing high-level basketball in the European leagues for six years. In 2010, Mason became the first American to ever earn Most Valuable Player honors in the Adriatic League while playing in Bosnia. He won a pair of national titles while in Bosnia and was a three-time MVP of the Bosnia and Herzegovina League and three-time MVP of the finals.
Mason grew up in inner-city Cleveland and never forgot his roots. He has always taken great pride in his Miami University degree and has used it as a platform to encourage young people from his hometown that with hard work and dedication they too can earn a degree and work towards realizing their dreams.
Through the self-established Chet Mason Foundation, Mason provides free basketball camps for inner-city youths each summer, an inner-city youth reading program and a fight-hunger program which feeds 1,000 families each summer. He also has been a guest speaker at several area schools and youth organizations, sharing his inspirational message and story. Mason’s programs impact thousands of people of all ages in the Cleveland area each year.
Mason graduated from Miami in 2005 with a B.S. in health and sport studies (sport organization). The 2005 Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Mason was a two-time All-MAC selection, earning first-team distinction as a senior in 2005 after leading Miami to its 21st regular-season title. Mason was a tenacious rebounder, amassing 806 boards at Miami, the most by any guard in the history of the program. Starting 117 career games, he ranks second to just Ron Harper in the category and also ranks 6th in all-time steals (157), 4th in minutes played (3,894) and 19th in scoring (1,230).
Continue reading to learn more about Mason and all 18 of this year’s honorees here.
