Mason Lockett emerges as Oswego East's next star

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Any conversation these days regarding Oswego East sophomore Mason Lockett will center on confidence.

Oswego East basketball coach Ryan Velasquez saw it emerge over the course of this past season.

Justin Brim, the coach and founder of Young and Reckless, who Lockett plays his AAU basketball with this offseason, has noticed the jump he’s made with his confidence in a matter of weeks.

And it’s the first thing Lockett himself mentions when he tells you the difference between the player who started every game for Oswego East as a sophomore to the one playing AAU basketball this spring.

Self-confidence is known intuitively in any athlete. But when it’s a young high school player just scratching the surface, it’s reflected in everything they say and do on the court. That sureness of feeling they are equal to the task and challenges at hand can be a significant springboard for a young player.

That confidence is what will parlay the unknown Lockett into a hot prospect in the Class of 2026.

Lockett has grown to a legit 6-4 and is a big playmaker with poise and an impressive all-around tool kit. He started every game as a sophomore, took on a lot of responsibility and roles while averaging 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals a game for a 21-win team.

“We called on him to do a lot,” Velasquez said. “We relied on him to handle the ball, be a floor general for us, and to watch how much his confidence grew was impressive. His teammates and coaching staff had confidence in him as a result.”

This spring has been Lockett’s first with Young and Reckless. Brim says initially Lockett came in “figuring things out” and “taking whatever the defense gave him.”

“He knows we see it,” Brim says of the talent Lockett possesses and the confidence they have in him. “Now he’s starting to hunt for shots with that confidence.”

Lockett might be an obscure name and prospect right now, but he won’t be for long. The City/Suburban Hoops Report is all in on a guard with an open-floor smoothness, improved shot-making ability and the potential for defensive versatility with his size and length.

Then there is the growing confidence.

“The confidence I’m playing with now — and I think I really felt it during that first AAU weekend — is so much different now,” Lockett said. “My coaches have told me to play with confidence, I’ve trusted that and now I feel that when I play.”

Lockett says he has definitely seen an improvement with his shooting. That has been a byproduct of the growth in his overall confidence.

Velasquez will put more on Lockett’s shoulders going forward as he’s the next in line of recent backcourt stars at Oswego East, which has included Jehvion Starwood (Wyoming) and Ray J Dennis (Baylor).

“With all the varsity minutes he has under his belt, he will be taking on a leadership role,” Velasquez said. “He already is showing he can do that, getting in the weight room early. The work he puts in speaks volumes. It’s all about the work, and he loves it.”

Lockett is looking forward to all that is about to come — from becoming the main option on his high school and AAU teams to gaining more recruiting interest. UIC, which offered Lockett this spring, really remains the lone interest he’s received.

But a whole lot more is coming for a player who has skyrocketed up the City/Suburban Hoops Report player rankings over the past several months.

“I want to be noticed by college coaches, and I think that it will happen,” Lockett said. “I’m ready to step up and be noticed.”