By: Easton Fothergill

Mason Shifflett is currently a graduate student at the university of Montevallo. He is on the basketball team, which is what brought him to Montevallo. Mason is a die-hard Minnesota Vikings, Louisville Cardinals, and Kentucky basketball fan.  

            Mason was born in Sheperdsville, Kentucky. He has a younger sister named Hannah. Mason was immediately involved in sports, and he played basketball and football all through high school at Teays Valley Christian. Other than sports, Mason also loves to go fishing, work out, go on hikes, shopping, and watching the Minnesota Vikings. For basketball, it was his junior year when college scouts began to notice Mason, and by the time he graduated, he had a pretty decent list to pick from of colleges he may play at in the future. This was a very tough decision for Mason, as it is for any high school recruit.

            Before Montevallo, Mason played for West Liberty University for one year. He then transferred to Montevallo and has been playing here for 4 years. “Just the overall atmosphere is great. Also, it is awesome to play in Trustmark Arena. On top of that, we have great staff here and a great weight room, which is important to me.” It truly is a brotherhood. The team does everything together. They go out to eat together, do fun things such as top golf, play video games, and more. 

“Montevallo has been a much better fit for me”

-Mason Shifflett

In basketball, Mason has always been an above average player at every level he has played. He is one of those guys that isn’t the flashiest player you have ever seen, but he has the fundamentals down to a “T.” “I am not the most athletic player on my team. I never have been in my whole career” Mason said. “I just make sure I am a great leader on and off the court, and since I am not the fastest or most athletic player on the court, having great fundamentals and footwork is a must.” It is very evident when watching him play that he has taken this to heart, as he is extremely vocal on the court and has excellent footwork both on offense and defense. Attached is a link to Masons profile here at the University of Montevallo, where you can view his stats from the past few years, and really get a feel for the type of player that he is.

            With Masons success, he has had many setbacks along the way. He actually got diagnosed with cancer while he was a very young child. On top of that, he has suffered a broken ankle, broken wrist, broken finger, lots of pulled and torn muscles, and many back problems throughout his basketball career. When I asked Mason about these setbacks, he paused for a second, then said this: “You know, those setbacks were all very hard on me at the time. When they happen, I always think, why me? But looking back at everything I have had to endure; I really think they are tests from God. They have taught me many life lessons along the way. Because of them, I can really appreciate what life has to offer and I make sure to not take anything for granted.” Mason is an extremely strong guy. He is also very smart and always happy. These past experiences have definitely shaped him into who he is today.

            Mason has been through a lot while going through his basketball career. After all the ups and downs, he says “Montevallo truly is the place for me.” He feels happiest at Montevallo, and says that anyone looking for a great school to go to, needs to check out the University of Montevallo.