By SAM LANCE
At Nike EYBL Peach Jam, top-100 class of 2026 guard Mason Magee got his first dose of 17u basketball. The 6-foot, 165-pound guard from Basha (AZ) had played all summer with the Vegas Elite 16u program. But when they needed some bodies to play up with the 17u squad in North Augusta, Magee was there to answer the call.
“The pace and the speed of the game, the physicality, it’s all really a big leap from 16u,” Magee said. “But once you get used to it, it’s really fun. Just sort of being in that environment, all the top guys playing. It’s just a great experience overall.”
During the Kansas City session with the 16u squad, Magee averaged 12.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while only playing in 18.4 minutes per contest. Playing up at Peach Jam, Magee contributed 1.4 points and 0.6 assists while playing 9.2 minutes per game. Magee said he quickly found out stuff that usually works at the 16u level didn’t work at the 17u level. So he had to adapt.
“Now I have my feet wet a little bit,” Magee said. “So [next year] I’ll be more comfortable.”
With his play this summer, Magee has garnered interest from a number of programs. Currently, the guard holds offers from Arizona State, Marist, Northern Arizona, San Jose State, UNLV and Washington State. He also has been hearing from Iowa and New Mexico State and said those two programs contact him most frequently.
Here is Magee’s breakdown of each program:
Arizona State: “You know, coach [Bobby] Hurley. He’s obviously a great coach. Has a great background and coaching family. It’s close to home. It’s about 30 minutes. So I’ve been up there. I’ve played. I’ve gone to runs up there. Played in a couple tournaments there. It’s kind of just that home feeling you know.”
Marist: “That’s a good one. My dad is pretty close with the head coach there, John Dunne. So him and I talk very often. And then coach Drew Metz, one of the assistants, we talk on a weekly basis.”
Northern Arizona: “Coach [Shane] Burcar. He offered me while I was young. I was 13 when he offered me. It was my first one. So it will always feel kind of different to me. I’ve been up there a couple times, played in some camps.”
San Jose State: “Coach [Ed] Gipson, we’ve had multiple conversations too. Talked to him out at Section 7 for a little bit. We built a close relationship.”
UNLV: “I’ve been up there one time this summer. But I’m looking to get more in contact with them. I haven’t been in much contact with them since they offered. They’re prestigious. They’re prestigious for their guards. That’s why when I got the offer I was kind of excited. One of my friends, Dedan Thomas Jr., committed there last year. He had a great freshman campaign there. So just talking with him, stuff like that.”
Washington State: “So I was offered by coach [Derrick] Wrobel a couple months ago. But he moved staffs and now he coaches at Stanford. But I’ve kept in contact with him pretty often. We still talk and I have a visit planned up to Stanford I want to say sometime in the fall.”
Iowa: “Coach [Courtney] Eldridge. He’s just been sending me stuff, talking on the phone with me about how they work and just giving me life updates. We’ve built a close relationship because we talk on the phone all the time. Just what they’re about up there at Iowa. Big 10 school.”
New Mexico State: “Another one my buddies, his name is Gabe Pickens, he committed there. And he’s going into his freshman year. So I’ve talked with him about the culture there, the style of play. The atmosphere up there. And when talking to the coach he just sent me little clips, little stuff on them. So just giving me kind of an idea of how things work up there, what they’re about.”
Magee plans on taking an official visit to Stanford in the fall. He hasn’t seen any other schools so far.
The guard is ranked the No. 84 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. Magee describes himself as pass first point guard who can also go and get buckets. He’s after a state title with Basha this upcoming high school season.
“We lost six seniors from last year to this year, so just taking on more of a leadership role,” Magee said of the upcoming season. “We have some young guys on the team, so I’m going to do my best to get them under my wing, get them amped and ready to play honestly. But I do a majority of the scoring at Basha. So it’s just going to be a big year for me as an individual to grow and stuff, but also as a team.”
Magee continued:
“State title is our goal. My freshman year we went to the Final Four of the open division. And my sophomore year last year we went to the Final Four again, but we lost both. So hopefully we can get it done.”
Basha is a 6A school in Arizona, but they play the playoffs in the open division, which pools the top teams from each class level.
There’s another hooper in the Magee family. Mason’s father, Ray Magee, played basketball at Stockton College. His mother also ran track and he has an older sister who sprints too. Mason said Ray has taught him many valuable lessons when it comes to basketball.
“Really just my mentality that he instilled in me early,” Magee said. “My heart. He always just taught me that the game was mental. So I just take a lot from him everytime we work out. Just soaking up knowledge from him. So it’s good to have him, a former basketball player. The stuff that he’s saying makes sense and is actually applicable to my game because he played.”
Another interesting fact about Magee is his nickname, Batman.
“As I was a kid, my dad used to always watch those Batman shows from back in the day,” Magee said. “Like really really old. When I was young I would just sit there and dribble the ball and watch it with him. Just to pass time. I always kind of wanted to be like Batman because he had no superpowers and he was still whopping on his enemies.”
Magee can do backflips, 180s and front flips as well. He is quite the talented athlete, as he can do all of this on flat ground.
“Mason is a tremendous athlete and person,” Ray Magee said. “He’s a 4.0 student. He loves being of service to others outside of basketball, always willing to help. Very coachable and respectful kid. The skies the limit and the best is yet to come.”
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