Things have not gone as planned for Antoine Mason in his first season on the Plains.
The nation’s leading returning scorer after averaging 25.6 points per game at Niagara last season, Mason sprained an ankle in his first game as a Tiger, forcing him to miss the next six games.
Once he was able to play, Mason wasn’t at full speed. Then the worst news came: his father, Anthony, suffered a heart attack and was battling heart failure.
“You do not ever want to see any family member or any friend, nobody like that,” Mason said.
Mason traveled to visit his father in New York immediately upon hearing the news, and his status for a road game at Georgia on Feb. 14 was unclear. Mason said his father made his wishes clear in the situation.
“I know the one thing he wants me to do is focus on the season,” Mason said. “That is what I have been trying to do and try to find a joy.”
The senior guard would score nine points against the Bulldogs, helping the Tigers to a 69-68 road victory.
Mason’s father remains in critical condition in New York, but Antoine said he’s still inspiring him from 1,000 miles away.
“The cool thing is, certain games, if I mess up or doing something, I can picture him and his facial expressions, and I will start laughing and get into a comfort zone,” Mason said. “We have a deep connection. He does not have to be here for me to know that he is watching me and listening to me.”
Even with his father’s condition and a recovering ankle, Mason’s performance has improved throughout conference play.
That improvement culminated in his best showing of the season; a 29-point game in Rupp Arena against No. 1 Kentucky.
“For Antoine to put up 29 points at Kentucky, that is the highest scoring from anybody and that might even be the highest scoring all year long at Kentucky,” said coach Bruce Pearl. “He owns that. That is a neat accomplishment.”
The late-season improvement has been fueled by a rising confidence level and a healing ankle, according to Mason.
“It sounds like a cliché, but the extra work I have put in is making me more confident,” Mason said. “I am just starting to get healthy. My ankle was bothering me. It is getting stronger. I am getting more comfortable.”
Mason may be finding joy in his rejuvenated play, but there’s likely little that will bring him more joy than a rejuvenated father to cheer him on.
“I actually spoke to him today,” Mason said. “He cannot talk yet, but he can hear things and respond by blinking and shaking his head and things like that. When I talked to my mom and him, they told me he was getting better.”
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