By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
MOODY — Moody’s Mason Trimm will play collegiate basketball for Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Surrounded by family, coaches and teammates at his signing day, Trimm said that he felt that Cumberland was the best fit for him as a player and person.
“I know that they are a really good NAIA team,” Trimm said. “They compete in one of the top conferences in NAIA. I love the location. It’s away from home, but not too far away from home, if you know what I mean.”
Cumberland is located about 23 miles east of Nashville.
Trimm was an invaluable presence on the floor and a leader for the Blue Devils, Moody head coach Chad Bates said.
“Mason was definitely our vocal leader,” Bates said. “He was our rah-rah guy every day in practice and in games. It didn’t matter if we were doing good or doing bad. He was always going to to be there and be excited, try to pump his teammates up. Not counting any of his physical attributes that’s one of the main things he did for the team.”
But Trimm’s contributions on the court were huge for the Blue Devils.
“Obviously he brought some versatility and size, being as long as he is,” Bates said. “He can play multiple spots and this year he really picked it up on doing some of the things that maybe aren’t as glorious as scoring. He became a better rebounder, boxing out. He really stepped it up on the defensive end and really bought in, because we switched most everything. Sometimes he’d have to guard someone bigger, faster, stronger. It didn’t matter. He was going to go at it.”
Now he’ll have the chance to continue his playing days — as well as his education — as a member of the Cumberland Phoenix.
Cumberland University has winning history in its basketball program. The Phoenix earned trips to the NAIA postseason in 2004, 2008, and 2009.
Trimm will likely play a swing position — either shooting guard or small forward — for the Phoenix. He said that he will continue with the work ethic that made him the backbone of the 2022 Moody squad.
“Whenever I work, play, practice, I want to give my all,” Trimm said. “My original trainer, another father figure — Gerald Lee — he really taught me the Mamba Mentality where you go in there and you give everything you’ve got and you be the best version of yourself you can be. Once you do that, I mean, hard work pays off. When I really understood that mentality, I was like ‘OK, we’re going to put the work in.”