Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Mascio McCadney, Lights Basketball

Shawn Huse has always scoured the country to find the next great Light. Yes, Huse has an expansive recruiting base, and he's always found the talent to help keep the Lights as one of the premier programs in the Frontier Conference.

However even as creative as Huse has always been in his recruiting, Detroit hasn't been the norm when it comes to finding Lights, or Frontier players in general. And yet, Detroit is exactly where the leader of this year's Montana State University-Northern men's team hails from.

Northern senior Mascio McCadney came to MSU-N three years ago, at the time a sophomore guard who played for Henry Ford Community College. And immediately, McCadney became a hit with the Lights, not only earning Frontier All-Conference honors in his first season in Havre, but also adapting to life at a small college, and as part of a small team, rather seemlessly.

And it's that adjustment that has helped McCadney not only embrace his time in Havre, and at Northern, but learn to love it, no matter how different it is from Detroit. Sure, he misses plenty about his hometown, but he's certainly made Havre his second home.

"The only thing I really miss about home is my family and friends," McCadney said. "I have really grown to love the safe and friendly environment in Havre."

Speaking of environments, McCadney has made the Armory Gymnasium an exciting environment in his time playing in the grand old gym. He's averaged better than 14 points for his Northern career. The 6-3 standout who is an excellent outside shooter, but also a physical guard who can drive to the basket with his quick first step, is closing in on Northern's exclusive 1,000-point club, as he's scored 839 points in two seasons. He's also a two-time All-Conference performer, who was named to the prestigious Frontier Conference Preseason All-Conference Team this fall.

Of course, his senior year has already had its share of road blocks, given the state of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lights had their first two games canceled due to a COVID issue with Yellowstone Christian, and just navigating the pandemic as a student-athlete has been difficult.

"Getting through this current pandemic has been quite tough as a student-athlete. It's hard at times but I try to stay positive, because I know I still have business to take care of on and off the court,"

Indeed. McCadney is ready to get to work, too. On the court, he wants to help the Lights have the best season they can, and off it, he's headed toward graduation, then hoping to continue his playing career at the professional level.

"My long-term plan after graduation is to become a professional basketball player and have a long career," McCadney said. "It's something I always dreamed of as a kid and it has driven me to become the player I am today."

And the player that McCadney is is really good. He's not only a big-time leader for the Lights, but also very much one of the top players in all of the Frontier Conference, and he's ready to take this season by storm, a season that he hopes begins this weekend at Rocky Mountain College.

But before McCadney and the Lights travel to Billings to face the Battlin' Bears, the Havre Daily News caught up with the Detroit native for five more questions.

HDN: This is your third year at Northern already. What's the experience been like as a whole thus far?

McCadney: "My experience at Northern has been amazing. It took me some time to get over the home sickness but after that I've been doing fine. The people in Havre are so friendly and supportive of our men's basketball team it's unreal. The feeling of playing in front of this town is so thrilling I love it. And you can't forget about the host families, professors, and boosters like Tommy Baker. These people go above and beyond to support our team, I'm very thankful for them."

HDN: You transferred to Northern from Henry Ford CC. What was the biggest adjustment that first season, coming from juco ball to the NAIA?

McCadney: "The biggest adjustment I had coming from the NJCAA to the NAIA is the pace and style of play in the Frontier Conference. This conference is pretty tough and the players are a lot smarter on the court than juco players."

HDN: What is your go-to song before. a game?

McCadney: "My go-to song before a game would probably be Lil Baby - 'Dreams 2 Reality.'"

HDN: A lot of new faces on the team this season. You have already had a big leadership role for the Lights, but this season it's even bigger. What are some things that you do to help lead and guide this team?

McCadney: "To help the new guys I'm willing to do as much as possible if it's either learning plays, giving out advice, or helping them navigate campus. I appreciate that these guys are always locked in and they listen considering that I'm a more experienced player. This makes my job a lot easier, and I'm looking forward to see what we will accomplish as a team."

HDN: You guys had a great run the second half of last season, and then just sort of ran out of time. What are the goals for this season?

McCadney: "Our goal for this season is to put more points on the board. Last season we struggled with this early on. We always pride ourselves on defense, but we also believe we can score more points on the offensive end to prevent close games. Winning the conference championship is our primary goal, and I think we have a great shot at doing so."