Hometown hero: Mason Falslev
Utah State University Men’s Basketball is on its third coach in as many years. Despite all the coaching turbulence, the Aggies have remained at the top of the Mountain West Conference and made a postseason appearance the last six years.
From past players such as Sam Merrill and Justin Bean to current players like Ian Martinez and Isaac Johnson, many Aggie stars have elected to stay in Logan even when head coaches came and went.
For many of these Utah State players that have decided to stay, the relationships in Cache Valley go beyond Aggie basketball and playing games in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum — no matter how magical it may be. Many have family or local ties past playing hoops that anchor them to Logan despite other reasons to leave. In few cases is that more prevalent than for sophomore guard Mason Falslev.
Falslev, Cache Valley native and graduate of Sky View High School, has been at Utah State for three seasons and has had a different head coach in all three.
Loyalty from players and coaches to specific programs is becoming extremely uncommon in college athletics. New coaches frequently bring several players with them and ask the remaining players to leave to make room.
When Jerrod Calhoun was hired as the new head coach at Utah State, his focus was not to bring players with him but to build on an already prosperous program.
“I just thought these kids are used to winning. An old Jim Tressel quote that has stuck with me seven years — eight years ago now — when I got to Youngstown State was ‘Winners know how to win,’” Calhoun said in an interview with The Utah Statesman. “To me, Mason Falslev entails what winning is supposed to look like, not just on game night but daily at practice — in the community — and all my research, all my conversations with him, kind of aligned to that quote, and I wanted to make sure he was a key priority in us moving forward.”
If there’s one thing Falslev knows how to do, it’s win. Falslev spent his high school days leading Sky View to state championships in basketball and football as the back-to-back 4A state MVP in basketball and the 2019 4A MVP in football.
In his time at USU, Falslev has already proven success and winning remain in his DNA beyond the high school level. A year ago, Falslev earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors three times and now ranks in the top 10 in 18 different categories in the Utah State freshman record books.
This season, Falslev has been Mountain West Player of the Week four times and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week twice. He was also the NIT Season Tip-Off MVP after big performances against St. Bonaventure and North Texas. Winners certainly know how to win, and Falslev continues to prove winning is a skill he’s acquired.
Life before Utah State
While Falslev is now working on cementing his status as an Aggie legend, that wasn’t always the case. He originally committed as a sophomore in high school to play at the University of Utah under head coach Larry Krystkowiak.
Falslev’s decision was largely impacted by his relationship with Rylan Jones, who played for the Utes from 2019-21, where his father Chris Jones was an assistant coach. Falslev’s relationship with Jones and his father may have initially prompted his commitment to the U of U, but it is also one of the contributing factors to his strong Aggie ties.
Chris spent significant time as an assistant coach at Utah State prior to heading to Utah, leading to Falslev spending time in the Spectrum and fostering a relationship with Utah State.
Falslev graduated high school in 2020 after a prolific high school career and left basketball to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just a few months into his service in Brazil, Krystkowiak was fired as the head coach at Utah.
The Utes filled their head coaching vacancy with former Utah State head coach Craig Smith, who had just led the Aggies to two conference championships and three straight NCAA tournament appearances in his three years as head coach.
“I was out for four or five months, and then he got fired, and coach Smith, who was at Utah State — I was pretty close with him — he went to Utah. So, I got on a phone call with him, and I was still planning on going to Utah,” Falslev said in an interview with the Statesman.
However, with Krystkowiak’s departure, Chris also departed, and Rylan ended up transferring to Utah State for the 2021-22 season, where he played for two seasons.
“I don’t know — things just kind of switched up. My dad got on the phone with me one day and was like, ‘Hey, just so you know, I don’t know how I know this, but there’s a spot for you at Utah State if you’d rather go there.’ So, after a lot of thought and prayer and fasting, I decided to go to Utah State instead of Utah,” Falslev said.
Falslev’s strong religious ties have always played a big part in his life. Utah State has a diverse team with many different religious backgrounds, each forming who the players are today.
For Calhoun, the strong religious beliefs of Falslev and others is part of what makes his team so special.
“I’m a member of the Catholic Church. We pretty much go every Sunday if we’re in town. So, I think there’s a lot of different religions, but what I have realized here with my team — my guys are very, very disciplined,” Calhoun said. “Our team is very mature, and they put we over me. They put the team over themselves, and that’s been kind of our mantra all year … and Mason certainly starts – it starts and ends with him and some of our leaders.”
Guard Mason Falslev looks for a pass during the game against SDSU.
A True-Blooded Aggie
After returning from his mission, Falslev redshirted his freshman season with coach Ryan Odom during the 2022-23 season, where the Aggies finished 26-9, ending the season with an NCAA tournament bid.
Less than two weeks later, Odom was hired by Virginia Commonwealth University as their next head coach, ending his two-year stint in Logan. Falslev elected to stay and welcome Danny Sprinkle to the program shortly after.
“My first year, I redshirted, and I knew I wanted to be here. I didn’t really have a chance to go anywhere else, so I was just all bought in and willing to do whatever it took to play here at Utah State,” Falslev said.
As a redshirt freshman during the 2023-24 season, Falslev averaged over 11 points and 28 minutes per game, helping the team to its first outright regular-season Mountain West Championship in program history.
The Aggies also advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they defeated Texas Christian University 88-72 for their first NCAA tournament win in over two decades.
“Coach Sprinkle came in and gave me a chance, and I had a super fun year … and a big year where I learned a lot about myself,” Falslev said.
Less than a week after their tournament run came to an end, Sprinkle was hired by the University of Washington, and the program was again left without a captain at the helm. Just a few days later, Calhoun was named the new head coach.
“Sprinkle left, and I got in the portal just because I didn’t know who the next coach was going to be and if he was going to bring in like 10 guys or what was going to happen. So, it was more for just safety reasons,” Falslev said.
Falslev was only in the transfer portal for about a week before taking the offer from Calhoun and company to stay in Logan and build his brand as an Aggie.
“I always wanted to be here. I’ve got to, got to get married, got to do a few things, and so that was a big part of me staying too — was my fiancée,” Falslev said. “Obviously, my friends and family are all here. So, it was a pretty easy decision.”
JACK LEWIS BURTON Mason Falslev, 12, takes a free throw at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Jan. 29.
Bigger than Basketball
Falslev and his now fiancée Elle Dunyon got engaged after dating for about a year, but they had known each other for longer than that.
“My freshman year, two years ago, Mason had a class with my roommates, and he became friends with them and invited them over to a game night at his house,” Dunyon said in an interview with the Statesman. “They brought me, and we just hit it off that first night, and he asked me on a date.”
Falslev and Dunyon met at that game night in the fall of 2022 but didn’t start dating for another year, despite the initial chemistry.
“I was pretty set on I didn’t want a boyfriend, just wanted to go on lots of dates and meet lots of people and have fun with my friends my freshman year,” Dunyon said. “But he was the one person that if he asked me on a date, I had to say yes because I always had a big crush on him.”
For many student-athletes, athletics dominate their lives both on and off the court. In the case of Falslev and Dunyon, they try to keep basketball separate.
“She’s awesome. Makes my life way easier — way better. After I have a bad game or something, I can go and hang out with her, and she makes it a lot easier on me,” Falslev said. “As far as basketball goes, I kind of like doing that on my own … I’ve got my friends and buddies to do that with.”
“He talks to most people about basketball all day. He has practices and lifts and interviews … He’s always had basketball be a huge part of his life since he was five years old,” Dunyon said. “I think that it’s important to have people outside of your sport that just love you for you … I feel like I’m the one person that he can talk to and not have it revolve around basketball but just have it revolve around him as an individual.”
Though Falslev’s plan was always to stay if possible, he still scared Dunyon during his short stint in the transfer portal.
“He was super open with me about everything. He always kept me in the loop on what he was thinking. The only real time I was super scared was on April Fool’s Day,” Dunyon said. “He played a prank on me and told me that he was leaving and going to Washington. It was just an April Fool’s Day prank, but it was the worst prank he’s ever pulled on me ever.”
Falslev and Dunyon got engaged in November, just when the hectic basketball schedule was getting started. Even with their packed schedules, the two find a way to make time for each other and will be married at the end of May.
Nadene Kimball Better and Better
In addition to his busy year of courting Dunyon, Falslev has also found time to level up as a basketball player as well. During his freshman season, Falslev shot 30% from three and averaged just over 11 points per game. This season, he is shooting over 40% from deep and averaging nearly 15 points per game.
“I knew that I needed to get better in a few areas. I needed to be able to shoot a mid-range shot and shoot threes, and so I spent a lot of time on my three-pointer and even mid-range,” Falslev said about his offseason workouts. “Last year, I feel like I really struggled to shoot the ball outside the paint area. So yeah, it’s been a fun year, and you know, this year, I’m learning a lot about myself. There’re still so many things I need to improve on and get better at.”
His work over the summer has paid dividends for the Aggies, as he’s become one of their top producers.
“Last year, he’s probably the fifth option. This year, he’s 1A … Early in the season, he really wasn’t scoring. The first three or four games, I had to really strategically look at what I was calling and how I could help him,” Calhoun said. “Once we were able to do that, I think he’s really flourished. He’s playing to his strengths. He’s getting downhill. He’s making threes — highest he’s ever shot the three-point ball. He’s efficient around the rim, and I think he plays out of pick and rolls a lot better.”
Falslev has been a key factor in Utah State’s great season, leading them to a probable third straight NCAA tournament berth as one of three team captains. He has also played himself into the conversation for First Team All-Mountain West.
Possibly more important than any of that is his trajectory to be remembered as one of the all-time Aggie greats.
“I’ve been very fortunate — part of a Final Four staff, national runner up staff, Division II, a Sweet 16, National Championship at the NAIA level. I’ve been part of like five teams that I’ll never forget as long as I live,” Calhoun said. “He ranks amongst the greats that I’ve ever been around. Whether I was the head coach, assistant coach, director of basketball operations, I’ve been around a lot of good leaders and a lot of good players. I put him at the top.”
Falslev grew up in and around the Spectrum, watching players such as Jaycee Caroll and Tai Wesley leave a lasting impact on Utah State and its fans. Though it may not have his been his original plans, Falslev is on a path that will put him in that conversation and right near the top of it.
“If I’m Mason Falslev, and I’m looking at my trajectory and what I’ve done already, I’ve won 28 games, I have 22 wins this year — you’re talking about a legacy that might hard for anyone to ever beat,” Calhoun said during his weekly coaches show on Feb. 13. “You’ll live here in Cache Valley, you’ll walk into the Spectrum and see that 12 jersey hanging someday, and hopefully, that’s how he’s thinking.”
Though it wasn’t Falslev’s original plan or intention, the possibility is exciting for the Cache Valley kid.
“It’s really cool that coach talks about me like that. I’ve been coming here since I was in the second grade. My team would practice here, and my little league team would practice here,” Falslev said while slowly gazing around the Spectrum. “I look at those jerseys up there every day at practice. To think that maybe my jersey could be up there one day is — it’s super special.”
With an already prolific USU career behind him and a long and fruitful Aggie future in the cards, the sky is the limit for the 6-foot-3 sophomore from Benson.
“I just want to be close to home, close to my family, playing in front of my family and friends,” Falslev said. “I met my wife here and [it’s a] super special place. I want to live here when I’m older, so I would love to finish my career here.”