Antoine Mason’s game is no laughing matter. It rises with the tier of competition.

Overlooked and underappreciated by the masses, Mason opened eyes like a pair of nude Maxim models Monday night, sparking New Rochelle to their second come-from-beyond win over Section I power Mount Vernon this season.

A 6-foot-2 guard/forward on a vaunted 17-1 New Rochelle team that’s taken the NYC suburbs and greater 914 area by wildfire this season, Mason has embraced the big-game beast within him.

Mason hoops for the Metrohawks on the AAU circuit.

The young gun is receiving considerable interest from a gaggle of mid-level programs such as Manhattan, Fordham, Quinnipiac, and College of Charleston.

Nearby St. John’s has also dug into its Big East pockets and paid attention to Mason.

Offers from Northeast Conference schools Robert Morris, Long Island and Farleigh Dickinson, along with New Hampshire and Niagara are currently on the table.

Coaches from New Hampshire and Long Island were on hand last night to see Mason, who dropped 19 points as New Rochelle ripped off a dizzying 32-9 fourth quarter run, en route to a stunning 77-67 win over the Knights.

Roaring back from a 13-point deficit at the end of three quarters, New Rochelle triggered a scoring spree which handed Mount Vernon their first home loss since the mid-1990s. The win ended a significant dry spell, establishing the Huguenots’ first win on Mount Vernon soil in 21 years.

The Huguenots won 10 straight and have the bullseye on their back as the sectional playoffs approach.

The way Mason–the son of former hulking New York Knicks forward and West Fourth St. affiliate Anthony Mason–has been playing, his stock could potentially climb. Those NEC offers could rapidly evolve into MAAC and A-10 offers. The County Center is the ultimate proving ground and that big stage in late February early March can make or break cats.

Mason boasts human pogo stick hops and is active on the glass. He’s evolved into a ferocious fourth quarter player and a go-to guy during high-pressure situations.

Last night, before a jam-packed crowd–which included Louisville coach Rick Pitino, seated a few rows behind the Mount Vernon bench–at Mount Vernon High School, Mason stole the show from highly-touted 5-10 guard Jabarie Hinds (who cooked cats off the bounce at the IS8 Fall Tip Off).

Hinds, the latest product of a virtual Big East launchpad (see Gordon, Ben or Jones, Kevin or Mitchell, Jonathon for more on Mount Vernon’s rich basketball real estate) boasts superior skill that’s elicited a bundle of interest from top-flight programs–Louisville, UNLV, and Wake Forest, to name a few.

Mason scored 10 of his 19 in the fourth quarter, highlighted by his individual 5-0 run which
included a steal and vicious fast break banger, plus the foul.

Mase applied the clamps on the other end as well, instigating a torrent of turnovers as Mt Vernon struggled mightily to break New Ro’s press.

Mason bleeds a brand of “nobody’s better than me” swag that’s comparable to that of Villanova-bound Jayvaughn Pinkston. New Rochelle could be playing against the West’s All-Star squad, Mase will be telling his teammates they should be the favorite.

Fear nobody.

On the court, you’ll find that Antoine Mason sure doesn’t.