The big kid leading the attack rumbled upfield, a 230-pound middle schooler.
An irrepressible force of nature on a field of children half his size. Who gets in his way?
Logan Mason was always the biggest kid, and when he took to the pitch, striker was his natural position. Soccer was his game. Once the pandemic arrived, Mason discovered something.
Soccer was not his passion. He had begun taking an interest in basketball, watching it here, studying it there. By the time he began freshman year at Mid-Pacific Institute, a growth spurt spiked him to 6 feet, 3 inches. He had barely played organized basketball.
Three years and hundreds of thousands of drills and reps later, Mason is a transformer. The 6-foot-7, 195-pound playmaker is averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Owls despite drawing double teams regularly from opponents.
“I didn’t really know that I was going to be a basketball player. Sophomore year is when I realized, that’s all I did — basketball, basketball, basketball.”
Mason’s all-around post and wing skills are exceptional, but it is the highlight-reel dunking that is dropping jaws and popping eyeballs across the island and across the pond. The dunks have that wow factor, but when Troy Higashi lobbed a pass off the backboard to Mason for a one-handed jam against Kahuku three weeks ago, they immediately turned around and sprinted back on defense as the crowd buzzed with shock.
“Every year, he’s gotten so much better,” Mid-Pacific coach Rob Muroda-Shklov said. “He’d score some on the perimeter and celebrate, and I’d tell him it’s going to cost us because you’re not getting back on defense, and you’re showing up the other team. You’ve got to become so good that you’re not impressed with yourself anymore.”
Muroda-Shklov has seen his share of extraordinary dunks.
“He’s had two of the best dunks I’ve ever seen,” he said, “Even when I coached (former All-State Player of the Year) DeForest Buckner.”
Senior year began well for Mason, with a 24-point, three-trey performance against state title contender Mililani. The rush of preseason games included a 29-point night against Radford and a 28-point performance against Kahuku.
During The Holiday Classic in San Diego two weeks ago, Mason went on a tear, with 23 points against Oakwood (Calif.), 31 against Vista (Calif.) and 23 on Bishop Manogue (Nev.), all while shooting 17-for-20 from the free-throw line.
Mid-Pacific (13-8) was ranked No. 9 in the Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10 last week. The Owls have been clutch, with close wins over Mililani and Kailua.
“I remember seeing him play some years ago, and back then he was young and finding himself on the court,” said Saint Louis coach Dan Hale, who was a 6-5 All-State Player of the Year at Punahou back in the day. “He has really developed into a dominant player. He can go inside and outside, and is very athletic around the rim. He is a force for sure.”
When the 2021-22 season began, Muroda-Shklov’s team was as green as the uniforms they wore.
“We met when we played together on the intermediate team,” guard Darius Chizer recalled. “He was quiet and reserved, and it took him awhile to get comfortable around us.”
Then it was into the furnace of varsity basketball.
“He was a gift, right? A lot of times, you know the kids coming in,” Muroda-Shklov recalled. “He came in as a ninth grader. His dad said, ‘He’s tall. He wants to try basketball.’ He was very raw, had really started just that year. A lot of baby fat. Slow.”
The longtime coach also saw this.
“You could see there was something there. He was aggressive, liked playing basketball, fit in with all the kids, really smart,” said Muroda-Shklov, who was a gritty guard-forward who made all the hustle plays during his years as a Punahou player.
The transformation has been remarkable.
“Logan is a total basketball nerd now. Even on the trip, he’s got (video) clips going. We get to the house, he’s watching ‘Ball is Life.’ The Punahou tournament was streaming,” Muroda-Shklov said. “I showed him some of the (recruiting) tools, but he’s reached out to coaches, curated his own mixtapes and clip packages,” Muroda-Shklov said.
It’s all business on the floor for Mason — making the right pass, attacking at the right time. Being ready for the occasional catch-and-shoot 3. Mason and fellow seniors are in year four together as a unit. Chizer is always a willing scorer at all three levels. Riley Miura’s range has expanded to NBA distance, but his ability to be a threat and create for his teammates is crucial to MPI’s success. Ryan Man is another key senior, a streak shooter who sometimes resembles his head coach defensively, willing to be physical, fast and relentless.
“I call them the ‘Four Amigos,” Maso’s father, Christopher, said.
“We’ve seen each other grow throughout the years. Especially for me, I wasn’t at the level I wanted to be in basketball,” Logan Mason said. “I’ve seen how the program has changed, how guys have gotten better, I’ve gotten better. It’s a solid amount of time we’ve been playing together, four years. Putting it together and trusting each other.”
When Logan Mason graduates, he will still be 17. Two years ago, he told his mother, Kimberly Perkins, and his dad that his dream was to play basketball at the college level. He now has offers from Division III and NAIA schools, and has a 3.3 grade-point average.
“He has the perfect skill set for college basketball,” Hale said. “It’s hard to predict at what level, but with his shot and athleticism, his ceiling is potentially very high. It’s hard to compare him to others because of his unique skill set at his height.”
This is also Mason’s dream: to jump out of a perfectly functional airplane and fulfill his bucket-list wish of skydiving. For now, he does his sky-borne work on the court.
“We’re just amazed at how good he’s gotten,” Christopher Mason said. “It’s really weird because maybe we would’ve put him back one year if we knew. He’s very into the recruiting stuff. UH is talking to him. (UC) Irvine, as well. Nothing is solid. We’ll see what happens. It’s been good to see him enjoy it.”
Perkins is an obstetrician who has delivered babies at The Queen’s Medical Center for years.
“This is what I do for my job, so I know the book part, but when it’s you, it’s an amazing experience,” she said.
The day of his birth was unforgettable for multiple reasons. Because of his size, they opted to have the birth a few weeks earlier than expected.
“Logan’s obstetrician was busy at another hospital. I told the nurses, give me the gloves and I’ll deliver him myself,” she said.
The obstetrician made it just in time. Mason was 22 inches and 8.5 pounds at birth.
“They thought he’d be 10 pounds,” she recalled.
Perkins was a tennis player in high school at Hathaway Brown in Ohio. Christopher Mason ran cross country in high school in Yerba Buena, Calif., often playing pickup basketball games before joining the U.S. Navy. Neither parent had to push their only child into sports.
“When he sets his mind on something, he’s laser-focused,” Perkins said. “There’s nothing external. If someone doesn’t have that internal drive, that’s the only thing that’s going to take you all the way.”
After a solid nonconference run, the Owls opened league play with a 64-34 loss to No. 2 Punahou on Saturday. Mason led all scorers with 14 points. Punahou’s top scoring threats in the paint, Tanoa Scanlan and Zion White, had a modest 10 and six points.
A few years ago, the loss could’ve been a confidence killer. Not now.
“I think defensively, their main guys are good. Zion and Tanoa are good, but we had some turnovers against their press and it was hard to get into our stuff on offense,” Mason said. “I missed six free throws.”
Normally a 71% shooter at the charity stripe, he shot 8-for-14 there. Mason isn’t bent out of shape over it. Staying steady and getting more reps are all that matter.
“After the game it’s more the mentality that it was the worst possible game we’ll play this season. The law of averages is, if you have a really bad game, the chance is it’ll balance out,” Mason said.
What Mason and his teammates won’t do is use a team-wide illness as an excuse. They returned from the California tournament at less than 100%.
His tendency to be aggressive on the post and from the perimeter is something the Owls need, but with good spacing, their shooters are always ready to fire when Mason meets a double team and dishes.
“I look up to so many players. LeBron (James), he plays the game the right way. He’ll score a crazy amount of points, but has seven assists, plays defense at a high level, leads on the court by example and makes his guys better,” Mason said. “Any player at any position can use him as a role model.”
The only thing Mason will brag about is his screen time.
“I probably watch the most film, the most basketball, of anyone in the state. Seeing certain things, seeing the game differently,” he said. “Things that aren’t just about stats.”
Players who enter high school with more potential than polish can sometimes drift in a bigger, more established program. Mid-Pacific was the right fit for Mason.
“It goes both ways and there are definitely benefits. At a bigger school, it can humble you and lower your development. At a smaller program, you can develop and really shine,” he said.
Week two of the ILH season could be pivotal for the Owls. They visit Kamehameha today, then host ‘Iolani on Thursday and University on Saturday. Up or down, win or lose, Mason’s even-keeled, slightly stoic presence makes him a rock-solid teammate and leader.
“When we were in San Diego (last week), one of the college coaches was scouting another player,” Christopher Mason said. “He liked Logan’s demeanor. He had 31 points, nine rebounds, some blocks. We were losing a close game, but the coach liked seeing him keep his chin up.”
Chizer is only a junior, and he will miss his outgoing seniors, especially Mason.
“Logan is a good friend,” he said. “Because he’s a goofy, funny guy.”
Logan Mason
Mid-Pacific basketball • 6-7 guard/forward • Senior
Top 3 movies/shows
1. “Ant-Man”
2. “Interstellar”
3. “Knives Out”
“The originality of (‘Ant-Man’), to be a superhero, but shrinking down to be crazy small, but he’s also just a regular guy. I’ve seen ‘Interstellar’ more than 10 times. I’m into space a little bit.”
Top 3 foods/drinks
1. Ramen (Daiichi Ramen, Kailua)
2. Sprite
3. Loco moco (Big City Diner Kailua and L&L Drive Inn)
Top 3 homemade food
1. Dad’s spaghetti and meatballs
2. Dad’s ravioli
3. Dad’s beef stroganoff
“He’ll make the meatballs fresh. If I really needed to make it, I could. He’s a pretty good cook.”
Top 3 music artists/favorite song
1. Lil Tjay – “Brothers”
2. PARTYNEXTDOOR – “Recognize”
3. Rod Wave – “2018”
Funniest teammate: Troy Higashi
“There’s something about him. He’s always jolly and funny.”
Smartest teammate: Tyler Kawamoto
“I know he has a pretty good GPA and he’s applying to some pretty good colleges.”
GPA: 3.3
Favorite teacher/class: Mr. (Roy) Evans, pre-calculus.
Favorite motto: “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“I don’t know who said it, but without mistakes, you can’t learn. You need mistakes to humble you so you can get better. Mistakes keep you humble.”
Hidden talent: Finger-boarding.
“I used to skateboard. Finger-boarding, something I do and don’t even realize I’m doing that.
New life skill: Driving
“I take my test next week, but I’ve got a lot of hours.”
Time machine: when and where would you travel?
“1400s and I would travel to Italy to meet Leonardo da Vinci.”
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self?
“The biggest mistake is believing you have time so pick something to put all your effort in and go for it with no regrets.”
Shoutouts
“My parents for always supporting me on and off the court. My coaches for believing in me since I started playing basketball seriously. My teammates for all the memories we’ve made over my high school career.”
