Foundational first year has Mason thinking positive about Peacocks

Bashir Mason has Saint Peter’s pointed upward as he begins second year with Peacocks. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Bashir Mason arrived in Jersey City 16 months ago as the new face of a program that was still basking in the afterglow of its newfound status as America's sweetheart.

And while some may have looked at Saint Peter’s as an impossible situation in the wake of Shaheen Holloway taking the Peacocks to within one game of a Final Four two seasons ago, it was easier for Mason to put his own stamp on his hometown outfit, simply because of his status as an outsider to the delirium.

“I think it was pretty easy for me because I had no parts of it,” he admitted. “I wasn’t around, so I just came in with the same mindset that I normally have, trying to win every game, get better every day. I think Sha and I are pretty similar in that way, so how he coached and how I coach, I think for the players, it’s normal for them.”

“I will say this: There’s still the same excitement, same energy, same buzz around the program. I think people are still excited about Saint Peter’s basketball, and me going through a year of it, I got the same energy. The players are working hard, excited about what’s to come. We really enjoy the league, the conference, I think the level of basketball is really good. Overall, Jersey City’s been great.”

With five returning players from a transitional campaign last year after he arrived on the heels of a successful decade at Wagner, Mason has found peace of mind in the veteran presence within his locker room. The familiarity with what he demands and the schematics of the Peacocks on the floor were, he says, the most vital components of this offseason as Saint Peter’s ascends the proverbial ladder yet again.

“Super important,” he said of the continuity on his roster. “The biggest thing for me was the foundation, the culture of defense (and) toughness, just being connected together as a group. That was the goal and we fought hard to be that. I think late in the year, we kind of saw it coming together, but more important for me, this summer, especially all the guys that are returning. Like all my teams at Wagner, the guys who played for me are now running the program, and everything that I would have to focus on last year, I’m at ease about because I’ve got five guys that know it, know what we’re supposed to be doing. They make sure daily we look like we’re supposed to look, sound how we’re supposed to sound. It’s a lot different than a year ago.”

The quintet that leads the rebuild in Jersey City will be headed by fifth-year senior Latrell Reid, one of four holdovers from the NCAA Tournament team. With Isiah Dasher having graduated, Reid has now become Saint Peter’s de facto leader on the floor, even if he may not match Dasher’s scoring prowess from last year.

“Latrell is going to be our tough guy, man,” said Mason. “When we say the word leader, he just exhibits that, he exudes it every day. He’s an extension of me and what we’re all about, just a kid that’ll run through a wall for me. Guys certainly follow his lead in terms of who we are day to day and the toughness component of who we are as a program. In terms of taking on more of an offensive load, I don’t necessarily see that as his role, but if he takes that jump, I’ll be happy about it.”

The uptick in offense, however, could come from either of the three other players who saw action for the Peacocks, headlined by guards Corey Washington and Brent Bland, along with forward Mouhamed Sow. Oumar Diahame remains in the program after missing the entire season last year while rehabbing a surgically repaired knee on which he played injured through Saint Peter’s historic run. The center is not 100 percent, Mason said, but is participating in basketball activities at the moment as he gears up for his return to the floor for the first time since March 2022. 

“Corey Washington, man, he’s taken a major step in his game, especially from an offensive standpoint,” Mason added. “We’ve got him shooting out to three now, doing a lot more things on the perimeter. We’re trying to not to let him forget about what makes him special, which is his tenacity and how hard he plays. But I’m expecting great things from him, and Mo with a year under his belt, he put on some weight over the summer and is building his game from the inside out. I’m definitely excited about him, and Brent just has comfort now in the program and who we are, what we do every day. I’ve seen growth in every single one of those guys, and it’s really helped us in the program.”

Seven newcomers have arrived on Kennedy Boulevard, with a trio of mid-major transfers in Roy Clarke (St. Francis Brooklyn), Elijah Perkins (Austin Peay) and Marcus Randolph (Richmond) headlining the influx of talent. Junior college imports Michael Houge, Jaheim Tanksley and Elijah Wood join the Division I ranks as well, and so too does Armoni Zeigler. If the 6-foot-4 Long Islander is even a quarter of what his brother, Zakai, has been at Tennessee, Saint Peter’s could be on the fast track to the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in short order.

“We’ve definitely upgraded our talent,” Mason assessed. “Every guy that we’ve probably recruited, we really looked at offense and ability to be able to play and score at all three levels. I think all the guys we’ve brought in can do that. We’re bigger, we’re more athletic, and from an offensive standpoint, we’re certainly more talented. It’s just been my fight every day to get these guys to defend the way that I want them to and play as hard as I ask them to.”

Defense has been in Mason’s DNA since his playing days, honed to perfection under an equally hard-nosed coach in Bruiser Flint at Drexel and crafted further while an assistant to Dan Hurley at Wagner. Mason still jumps into defensive drills in practices, which begs the question: Is it easier for him to teach the high standard at which he expects his teams to defend than to instill even the most basic elements on the offensive side of the basketball?

“My philosophy on it, I think, is difficult for guys to understand,” he began. “I don’t talk about offense at all. I never tell a guy not to shoot, not to pass, not to drive, not to do anything. The tradeoff is playing defense the way that I’m asking you to. I think guys have to get used to that, and then they’ve got to get used to what they’ve cared about their whole basketball lives, I don’t actually care about, which is, ‘does my ball go in the basket or not?’ Guys get so emotional about that. It’s not a concern of mine, so once I get them bought into ‘Coach doesn’t care about me scoring or not scoring, he just wants me to play hard,’ I think their offensive games actually take off.”

With that said, Saint Peter’s has the tools to be somewhat of an X-factor in the MAAC if everything falls into place properly. Regardless of where the Peacocks ultimately finish, Mason is confident that his unit will take a significant jump, and do so quicker than it came together last season.

“This is a group that I recruited the majority of, and then you return five guys that have played for me,” he reiterated. “I think you’ll just see a team that’s a true reflection of me. I don’t think it’s going to take half of a season or three-fourths of a season for our fans to see that. The defense will be the same, but offensively, I think it’ll be reminiscent of some of my better teams at Wagner, with multiple guys that can score it. The main focus will be just not individual stats, but just having one more point than our opponent.”