Highlands sophomore basketball player Micah Mason doesn't say much on the court, and he shows little emotion, even in pressure situations.
He apparently also has a high tolerance for pain.
Mason played an entire season-plus with a potentially career-threatening hip problem.
"I didn't know I had it," Mason said.
Mason recently had his second hip surgery in three weeks at UPMC South Side.
What originally was thought to be "growing" pains -- Mason grew 5 inches since last season -- was diagnosed as FIA (Femoroacetabular Impingement). He had too much friction in his hip joints, with the ball joints and sockets rubbing abnormally.
"At first, we thought it was something with his groin," Highlands coach Shawn Bennis said. "You could just tell he didn't have that explosion when he went off the dribble or pulled up."
He should now, though.
It was a painful ordeal, but now that it's fixed, the outside shooting specialist Mason should be more flexible and quicker.
He's had three surgeries since October.
He tore the meniscus in his right knee during a fall-league game and needed about a month to get back to normal. The FIA played a key role in that injury.
He had his other hip repaired two weeks ago.
Mason, who will be one of the WPIAL's top incoming juniors next season, may need four to six weeks to resume physical activity and return to AAU basketball.
"I know it's going to make me better," Mason said. "It hurts right now, though."
With the hip problems, Mason was somewhat restricted laterally.
"After hearing what it was, we couldn't believe he was able to play on it," said John Mason, Micah's father.
Mason hardly showed he was hurting -- at least until after games, when he got home.
He averaged 19.4 points per game with a team- and A-K Valley-high 86 3-pointers.
Mason has scored 845 career points with 176 3s.
"It's a miracle that we found this so early, or his basketball career could be over," said Karen Mason, Micah's mother. "He hid the pain pretty well. But I could tell when he was hurting."
