Growing up the son of longtime Indianapolis Public School educators Joseph and Evelyn Mason, giving back and helping his community was in former Broad Ripple and Butler basketball star Daryl Mason’s blood.
Off the court, Mason dedicated his life to helping others through his consulting business, Mason Consulting. For more than 25 years he worked with local businesses like the Lilly Endowment and the Indianapolis Urban League, consulting on philanthropy and business development.
Mason had a passion for helping others, the same way former Indiana Pacers players Darnell Hillman and Mel Daniels helped him develop his elite rebounding ability. Mason’s play style was molded by a saying from the former Pacers, “if you want to rebound, you’ve got to own it.” And that’s exactly what he did.
Mason, a member of Butler basketball’s 1970’s All-Decade team and considered one of Butler’s greatest rebounders, died Monday morning from lung cancer. He was 73 years old.
Mason played for Butler from 1971 to 1974. He holds Butler records for single-game rebounds (26), single-season rebounds (354) and career rebounds (961). His 354 rebounds during the 1972-73 season ranked 12th in the nation. He averaged a double-double in two out of three seasons.
“He determined early on that (rebounding) was going to be his contribution to the game and his team,” Mason’s former Butler teammate Clarence Crain said. “He prided himself on rebounding, so much so that he still holds the rebounding record at Butler which will probably never be broken in today’s era of NIL.
“He was a team player in sports and he was a team player in life. … All of those things worked toward helping people be the best they can be in a team setting. He was truly a team player.”
As a sophomore in 1971, the 6-foot-7 center averaged 11.8 points and 11.1 rebounds a game. In 1972, Mason averaged 8.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. In his final season at Butler, Mason averaged 11.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Five times, Mason recorded 19 or more rebounds in a game. For his career, Mason shot 42% from the field and 55% from the free throw line.
“The fact that you could get that many rebounds tells you that he had a nose for the ball,” Billy Shepherd, Mason’s former Butler teammate, said. “He just had a nose for the ball and was willing to go after it. He didn’t worry about a lot of the other things; he just wanted to rebound.
“I think a lot of times that says a lot about a player. You find something that you do well, and you go do it. Daryl was the ultimate guy at doing that.”
When Mason wasn’t working at his consulting business, he enjoyed traveling. Mason made several trips to Hawaii, Ghana and parts of Europe. The wiry center was a well-traveled man, but his heart was always with his hometown.
Mason starred for Broad Ripple as a senior, averaging 16.8 points and 10 rebounds. Mason was considered by IndyStar as one of Broad Ripple’s all-time best players.
“He loved being around his teammates, he loved being around Butler,” Shepherd said. “He had a nice high school career, and he built on that at Butler. … He had a great sense of going after the ball and had excellent timing. A lot of guys can jump high, but he was a quick jumper who could jump high.
“What I recall the most is his consistency. You just knew going out that he was going to be the guy to get you 15 to 20 rebounds. I wouldn’t say that’s a lost trait, but you don’t find that much anymore.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Daryl Mason, Butler basketball rebounds leader from Broad Ripple who was ‘team player in life,’ died
Reporting by Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
