Weber State's Darin Mahoney has played in 106 games for the Wildcats.
Weber State senior Darin Mahoney doesn’t garner a lot of headlines, but his tenacity and work ethic have made him a valuable player during his four seasons with the Wildcats’ men’s basketball team. Mahoney has played in 106 career games, starting 39. The Heber City, Utah, native has scored 336 career points with 453 rebounds, and 80 career blocks. Mahoney and the Wildcats face Montana State and Montana at home this week. Big Sky Conference intern Alyssa Askew asked Mahoney some questions about his career. Let’s get to know Darin Mahoney:
Q: How/why did you start playing basketball?
A: I’ve been playing as long as I can remember. My older brothers always played, so I played with them as soon as I could.
Q: So far, what is your best memory of playing college basketball at Weber State?
A: Going undefeated on the road during conference my freshman year is one of my best memories.
Q: You’re known for your tenacity and toughness on the court. Do you find it as a compliment when people talk about you in those terms?
A: I don’t think there is a player who wouldn’t want to be considered tenacious and tough.
Q: You were a starter last year, but started this year coming off the bench. Because of some injuries, you are back in the starting lineup. Was the transition to coming off the bench difficult, and what do you prefer to start or come off the bench?
A: I don’t care either way. I play about the same amount of minutes either way, and I am usually on the court at the end of the game. Sometimes it’s better for me to start and sometimes it’s better for me to come off the bench depending on rotations.
Q: Because you aren't a guy who normally scores 20 points a game, did it surprise you last season when you were honored as the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week last season?
A: I was very surprised to get the award but that week I did score a lot of points.
Q: What has it meant for your team to have Damian Lillard back this season?
A: He’s the best player I’ve ever played with so of course it’s great to have him back on the court with us.
Q: What made you choose Weber State?
A Weber is close enough for my family to come to the games, and it is a great school so it was an easy choice for me.
Q: We’ve seen your twitter account @The_Mahoner, and noticed someone tweets during your basketball games for you. What type of responses have you gotten from this, and can you tell us if anyone has asked if it's actually you sending Tweets from the bench?
A: I don’t have twitter so I’ll get updates from teammates about what The Mahoner is saying and they think it’s pretty funny. A few people have asks my friends how I tweet during the game.
Q: How was your experience on your LDS Mission in Japan?
A: I loved living in Japan and serving the people.
Q: How is your Japanese these days? Ever use Japanese to talk trash to an opponent or official?
A: I’ve forgotten some words but I can still speak pretty well. Occasionally I will talk to Japanese people in airports so it’s fun to get to used Japanese every once in a while.
Q: What was it like to come back from a Mission and jump right into Division I basketball?
A: It was hard because I only touched a basketball a few times in two years, but my coaches were patient with me will I got back into basketball. Being on the scout team when I redshirted was a big help.
Q: What is it like to be the oldest player on the team? Does everyone look to you for advice?
A: I’ve been in the program for five years so I know what it takes to be successful and I try to set the example of how hard we need to work to my teammates.
Q: Like you, true freshman guard Mike Brown played at Wasatch High School. He was, we believe, in the sixth grade when you were a senior. Is it kind of weird to now be teammates with him?
A: I didn’t know Mike when I was in high school but it’s great having him on the team. He’s going to be a great player.
Q: You are working on your Master's Degree in business management. What are you plans in the real world once basketball ends?
A: I’m actually doing a joint Master’s Degree in business administration and healthcare administration. I hope to work as a manager in healthcare.
Q: Where is your favorite place to eat in Ogden?
A: Tony’s Pizza
Q: Who has the best arena in the Big Sky (other than your own)?
A: Montana.
Q: What’s your favorite Big Sky trip and why?
A: The Portland Eastern Washington trip is always fun.
Q: Favorite thing to do besides playing basketball?
A: Bowling.
Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete?
John Stockton