At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we try to highlight guys who are under-recruited by college coaches or overlooked by the masses. This edition will feature Mason Dobie of First Flight High School.
We talked about Dobie extensively prior to the season, stating, “Between his immediate impact as a freshman and continued growth over the next two seasons, it’s arguable that Dobie is one of the most productive three-year (entering his fourth) varsity players throughout North Carolina. He started his high school career by posting nightly averages of 17.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.7 SPG with 45/38/73 splits. That alone is uncommon, but it was just the beginning for Dobie. Albeit slightly different, his sophomore numbers were largely similar to the prior season. Then, last season (following the departure of his older brother, Isaac), Dobie had a breakout year as the clear focal point of the Nighthawks. As a junior, he averaged 23.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.0 SPG with insane efficiency across the board. Through three seasons, he’s amassed 1655 points, 390 rebounds, 224 assists, and 93 steals—which is simply incredible.”
Although not all of his stats on MaxPreps have been updated, the accurate scoring numbers are truly ridiculous. Sure, he averaged an insane 27.8 PPG but that number doesn’t even fully encompass all of Dobie’s impressive feats. Regardless of shot volume, he forced opponents to respect him on a nightly basis. He had more 50-point games (1) than games under 10 points. Dobie also had 12 games of 30+ points. If the math is correct, adding 751 points to his 1655 points should place Dobie 17th on the NCHSAA All-Time Scoring List. This places him ahead of recent noteworthy guys like Breon Pass, Lavar Batts, and Josh Cottrell. Sage Surratt is the only public-school player in the last decade to score more than Dobie. It’s unclear if folks really understand the magnitude of what he’s accomplished throughout his career at First Flight. From being an immediate leader as a freshman to arguably finishing as the best player in school history as a senior, Dobie certainly deserves increased attention from college coaches.