Frank Mason III

Classroom

Frank Mason III is on the path to graduate from the University of Kansas with a degree in liberal arts and sciences in May 2017.

In the summer of 2015, Kansas represented the United States at the World University Games in Gwanju, South Korea. In this, the student-athletes took a course on Korea on the culture and what they would experience involving being in another country. Mason excelled on the court, leading USA to the Gold Medal. He also shined in the classroom as the student-athletes brought back information and did an oral presentation on what they learned on their trip to Korea to complete the course.

Character

Mason will be a feature on the Big 12 Conference Champions for Life Series during the 2016-17 basketball season. He was chosen by his coaches and the athletic department to represent Kansas in this. In his feature, Mason describes his hometown of Petersburg, Virginia, as a place that was rough with a lot of violence. In the video he displays his leadership in telling how it is necessary to be focused in school and believing in oneself. Often in interviews Mason describes how he wants to be a role model to his son, family, those back home and youth by being a successful student-athlete.

Community

As a Jayhawk, Mason participates many community service activities, such as when the men’s basketball team hosts Ladies Night Out, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the KU program for breast cancer awareness month. The yearly sold-out event benefits Jayhawks for a Cure with all proceeds donated to Lawrence Memorial Hospital (LMH) and the KU Cancer Center in an effort to fund cancer research. In late January, Kansas men’s basketball hosts the Wilt Chamberlain Special Olympics Clinic, which invites more than 100 Special Olympians spend an afternoon with the team. The Jayhawks annually autograph approximately 2,000 basketballs with proceeds from the sales of the basketball going to Lawrence area non-profit organizations such as Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Kansas men’s basketball annually hosts a youth holiday clinic in which the student-athletes teach youth fundamentals. Mason has also been known to visit local elementary schools and read to the students. The KU Leads program assists the KU student-athletes in freshman leadership, career development, community service and Jayhawks after college.

Competition

Mason has been the floor leader for Kansas each of the last three seasons as his 82 consecutive starts rank ninth-most in school history. He is also one of seven all-time Jayhawks to rank in the top-30 in career scoring and top 13 in career assists. Mason has been an All-Big 12 Second Team selection each of the past two seasons. He was the MVP of the 2015 Maui Invitational and a member of the five-person 2016 All-Big 12 Defensive Team. Early this season, Mason was named to the CBE Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team and was the NCAA.com National Player of the Week (Nov. 21) and Big 12 Player of the Week (Nov. 17). His is on the preseason watch lists for the Lute Olson Award, the John Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy. Additionally, Mason is one of 15 named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List by the Naismith Hall of Fame.

In Mason’s stint at Kansas, the Jayhawks have won three Big 12 regular-season titles, three in-season tournament crowns, one Big 12 postseason championship and advanced to the 2016 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Additionally, he was the 2015 World University Games (WUG) finals MVP and selected to the WUG First Team.