By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
For the second time in less than two weeks, Northern Kentucky University has lost a former all-state basketball star from the Norse’s highly touted recruiting class of 2016.
NKU sophomore guard Mason Faulkner was granted his release to transfer on Wednesday, just 13 days after standout forward Carson Williams — Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 2016 — announced he would leave the program. Faulkner averaged 6.5 points and 2.2 assists in 65 games played during his two years in Highland Heights.
Mason Faulkner poured in 3,148 points during his prep career at Caverna High School. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
This past season, the 6-foot-1 Faulkner averaged 5.6 points per contest and buried 32 shots from 3-point range in 90 attempts. He also made 88.2 percent of his free throws and averaged 17.1 minutes played in 32 games.
“It was a process in itself,” Faulkner said of his decision to leave NKU. “I evaluated everything with my parents, and it was just best for me to depart. Sometimes you just need a fresh start, and I feel like that’s where I was at.”
A 2016 graduate of Caverna High School, Faulkner poured in a school-record 3,148 points during his prep career. He was the state’s leading scorer at 35.9 points per game during his senior season, following a junior campaign in which he averaged 30.3 points per contest. As a senior, Faulkner — whose offensive skills had become legendary at Caverna — also averaged 10 rebounds and was named first team all-state.
Faulkner was also a finalist for Mr. Basketball in 2016. That award eventually went to Williams — his future NKU teammate who averaged 26.3 points and 10.7 rebounds while leading Owen County to a school-record 29 wins in 2016.
Signing both Faulkner and Williams in 2016 represented a major recruiting coup for NKU head coach John Brannen. That freshman duo helped NKU win the 2017 Horizon League Tournament championship and earn the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
In fact, Faulkner was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week after scoring 24 points in a win against Youngstown State and following that with 16 points against Cleveland State. He also netted a career-high 29 points against Detroit Mercy as a freshman and appeared to be a future backcourt star at NKU after scoring in double figures nine times.
While Faulkner would not elaborate on any specific reasons behind his decision to transfer, he made it clear how he felt about the other NKU players.
“My teammates, I can’t speak highly enough of them,” Faulkner said. “They are a great group of guys, and I loved playing with them. The time here watching our program grow and win was great.”
While he averaged 17 minutes per game, Faulkner’s playing time decreased noticeably late in the season. He played 12 minutes at Illinois-Chicago, 14 minutes at IUPUI, and 11 minutes against Cleveland State in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament.
During NKU’s game at Louisville in the first round of the NIT, Faulkner saw just six minutes of playing time.
“I felt I could’ve impacted right away for the next two seasons,” he said when asked if playing time entered his decision to transfer.
Regarding his next stop, Faulkner said he has “no specific school” in mind, but is looking for “just the right fit.”
An NKU spokesperson said Brannen would have no comment regarding Faulkner’s decision to transfer.
NKU posted a 22-10 record in 2017-18 and captured the Horizon League regular-season championship. The Norse must replace graduated starters Lavone Holland II and Jordan Garnett as well as two of the team’s top reserves in Faulkner and Williams.
The 6-foot-6 Williams averaged 12.0 points and shot 60.8 percent from the field this season. Williams said Wednesday that he has not decided on where he will transfer and complete his final two years of eligibility.
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport
