Mason Lockett, back healthy, set to lead Oswego East as one of state’s top senior prospects

Mason Lockett did not get the maximum opportunity last season to showcase himself as one of Illinois’ top prospects in the Class of 2026.

He’s back now, however. That’s good news for Oswego East.

Lockett, a 6-foot-5 guard, was limited to 16 of the Wolves’ 31 games his junior year. He missed the first week with a concussion, and the last six weeks with a foot injury. When he did play, Lockett averaged 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, four assists and two steals per game last season in leading Oswego East to a 21-10 record.

Lockett, though, was back healthy by the spring. He participated for Oswego East during the June live period, and looked as good as ever.

“More aggressive going to the basket, being more assertive. It looks like his jump shot is even better, probably the best we have ever seen it,” Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez said. “I love the aggressiveness with the basketball. It looks like he didn’t miss a beat from where he was at. He was able to play in the spring circuit and he looked really good, excited from what we saw.

“He’s scoring at all three levels, taking that next step forward. We want him to be even more of a leader.”

Lockett, who started 32 games as a sophomore, will need to be.

Besides Lockett, senior guard Michael Rembert is the only Oswego East player back with much varsity experience. The Wolves do add a strong group of underclassmen from last year’s 25-1 sophomore team, but it’s clearly Lockett’s team.

“Mason has been through it the last couple years,” Velasquez said. “It’s nice to have those seniors that have that experience.”

Lockett received a scholarship offer from Minnesota prior to his junior season, and also got offers from DePaul, Saint Louis and Xavier. Since the June live period he’s added offers from the likes of Tulsa, Toledo, Bradley and Iona.

Lockett plans to take an official visit to Saint Louis at the end of July.

“He’s a really talented player,” Velasquez said. “We’ve had a lot of those go through out doors and he’s the next one in line. He knows it will not be handed to him. He has a good family around him. He likes to put in the work. He steps on the floor and he knows that he’s going to take opponents’ best shot. He knows that comes with the territory.”

Success has come with the territory at Oswego East under Velasquez. The Wolves have won at least 20 games in seven consecutive seasons since Velasquez came aboard as head coach, not counting the COVID-shortened season.

Building on that success will require some of the younger kids acclimating to the varsity game, but Velasquez liked what he saw in June.

“I thought we had a good summer for us, saw a lot of good things out of our young guys,” Velasquez said. “That sophomore group that are juniors now, varsity basketball is a lot different. It’s getting those guys up to speed. It’s a learning process. We all like to win but we don’t get all tied up in wins and losses in June, nobody ever remembers that. It’s doing it our way, buying in, executing it on the court. The work is not done. Guys have to keep working on their game and their skill development.”

It appears to be a team with some size.

Lockett is long and athletic for a guard and Velasquez said the Wolves got a transfer from Oak Park-River Forest, sophomore Alijah Johnson, who is 6-5 and close to 250 or 260 pounds.

Dshaun Bolden is a wiry, athletic 6-4 junior who had a good summer for the Wolves. Bolden got some time on varsity down the stretch as a sophomore, as did Jacsen Tucker, who didn’t camp with Oswego East’s basketball team all summer as the top baseball prospect was playing that sport.

“He’s a very talented player,” Velasquez said. “I like our guys. It’s a good group to coach, hungry to learn. You get a group that works hard, listens and is coachable it makes it that much better.”