FARGO — One campus visit was all Mason Walters needed to decide his college basketball future.
The reigning NAIA men’s basketball player of the year committed to the University of Wyoming earlier this week after a recent visit to Laramie.
“I fell in love with the school, the coaching staff, everything about it,” said Walters, who graduated from Jamestown (N.D.) High School in 2019. “It was really exciting for me and I thought it was a great opportunity so I wanted to take advantage of it and get the process rolling.”
The 6-foot-9 Walters is making the jump from NAIA to NCAA Division I for his final college season of eligibility. Wyoming is a member of the Mountain West Conference, which also includes national runner-up San Diego State.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to compete against a great conference and a lot of tough competition," Walters said. "I’m excited to be able to compete and test myself and see where I stack up and keep getting better.”
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Go Cowboys!! Committed✅@wyo_mbb pic.twitter.com/JEPRtDMdWD
— Mason (@masonwalters24) April 13, 2023
Walters spent the past four seasons at the University of Jamestown where he scored more than 2,600 points and grabbed more than 1,200 rebounds during his 119-game career. The three-time, first-team All-American averaged 22.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game over his four seasons with the Jimmies.
“Now it’s sinking in where I’m going to go so now I’m just kind of shifting my mindset,” said Walters, who was North Dakota's Mr. Basketball in 2019.
Walters said Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder and his coaching staff played a key role in his decision to commit to Cowboys and not visit any other schools. Walters said he had eight finalists and Wyoming was his first visit.
“The coaching staff is a great group of people and feels like family,” Walters said. “I’m excited to be able to learn from him and pick his brain. I think there’s going to be a great opportunity to keep getting better and a great chance for my career and to have a great one last year.”
Walters said he arrived in Laramie last Thursday, had a full-day visit Friday before he returned home Saturday.
Wyoming posted a 9-22 overall record last season with a 4-14 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Walters said he is projected to play either power forward or center for the Cowboys.
“It’s a great opportunity at Wyoming and I think everyone there wants to win games and get the players better,” said Walters, who expects to head to Laramie in June to start preparing for the upcoming basketball season. “I will be working this summer at getting better at both, on the post and on the wing.”
Walters averaged 26.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game this past season with the Jimmies. The University of Jamestown advanced to at least the round of 16 in the NAIA tournament the past three seasons.
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Walters shot 64% from the field, 37% from the 3-point line and 83% from the foul line in 34 games last season. He shot 60% from the field and 37% from the 3-point arc over his four-year career with the Jimmies. He had one more year added to his college eligibility due to COVID-19.
“I have a lot of people here that support me and I’m so thankful for my four years here at Jamestown,” Walters said. “A lot of great people, people who care about me and that’s another reason why I chose Wyoming. I felt that same feeling when I was down there.”
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