LAMOUR, N.D. — A LaMoure/Richville Marion standout basketball player said he will stay close to home and play for a new coaching staff by committing to Jamestown University.
“I really like the new coaching staff and I really like Jamestown,” Max Masland said. “Also, it's close, less than an hour from home, and I have a lot of family in Jamestown who will come to my games. There are a lot of contributing factors.”
Masland said he made his decision during a visit to Jamestown University in April. Masland will play for head coach Casey Bergeman, who was hired on March 11.
“He first came and watched me play at State University, we texted and then we ended up visiting,” Masland said. “We have a really good relationship and he seems like a really great guy.”
Masland said he is relieved to have made his decision and knows where he will play for the next four years.
Masland spoke with three Jimmies coaches from start to finish during his recruitment, and he said he felt apprehensive when thinking about the program.
“That was a real question,” Masland said. “I really had doubts about Jamestown because I didn't know who was going to be the next coach and I thought it was going to be a little difficult. But when Casey became the coach, I really liked it. Ta.”
Masland said he is willing to help the team in any way the coaches need.
Mr. Masland joined the program beyond Concordia University (Minnesota). He said Mr. Masland was instrumental in helping the Jimmy family with the school's facilities.
During his senior season, Masland averaged 25.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Masland helped the Lobos improve to a 17-12 overall record and a seventh-place finish in the 2024 NDHSAA Division B Boys Basketball State Tournament. Masland's performance earned him selection to the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association All-State First Team.
As of May 9, Masland is one of 14 players on next year's roster. Outside of the current recruiting class, Masland said he knows Hazen's Tyson Wick and has played Amateur Athletic Union basketball with Northern Cass' Landon Moser.
“It's really helpful to just have a few familiar faces around, not a bunch of strangers,” Masland said. “Yes, I think that's really good.”
Masland and Jimmies will play at the NCAA Division II level as sophomores. Masland is familiar with the teams the Jimmies play in the Northern Sun Collegiate Conference, having been scouted by the Covers and watched his sister Molly play for the Covers the past two years.
“I knew what I was going to get if I went to Concordia,” Masland said. “I went to a lot of Jimmy's games, so I kind of knew what was going on there.”
Masland joins a group of experienced guards. The Jimmies are expected to return nine guards, including Silas Bennion and Will Cordes, who have 231 games of college experience.
“I’m really looking forward to it too,” Masland said. “I’ve watched them play and they’re both really good players, so it’ll be good to have the upperclassmen teach us some things.”
Hello,
My name is Max O'Neill. I'm a sports reporter for the Jamestown Sun. I'm a native New Yorker who graduated from Ithaca College in 2020 with a degree in Television and Radio.