Mason named USBWA All-American, finalist for Oscar Robertson Trophy

Link 2017 Postseason Awards
Link USBWA All-America Team

U.S. Basketball Writers Association

ST. LOUIS – Kansas senior Frank Mason III has been named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) 2016-17 All-America First Team and a finalist for the prestigious Oscar Robertson Trophy as the USBWA’s Men’s National Player of the Year, the association announced Monday.

The USBWA and the legendary Oscar Robertson will announce the Oscar Robertson Trophy winner as the national player of the year at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Glendale, Arizona, at a press conference on Friday, March 31. The trophy is named after “The Big O,” a three-time National Player of the Year and All-American at Cincinnati.

Mason is the 18th Jayhawk to earn USBWA All-America honors and is the first first-team guard from Kansas since 2010 (Sherron Collins).

Mason, the Big 12 Player of the Year and the USBWA District VI Player of the Year, led the Jayhawks to their 13th-straight conference title. Mason is the first Kansas player to lead the Big 12 in scoring (20.8 ppg) since the 2004-05 season, and is vying to become the first player in Kansas and Big 12 history to average at least 20.0 points per game and 5.0 assists per game in the same season. Mason averages 20.8 points and 5.1 assists per game.

The Petersburg, Virginia, native has already received National Player of the Year honors from four different publications, to date – Sporting News, USA TODAY, Bleacher Report and NBC Sports.

The USBWA All-America teams are voted on by members of the USBWA, which is comprised of more than 900 sportswriters and sports journalists who cover college basketball for newspapers, magazines and websites.

The USBWA was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.

2016-17 USBWA ALL-AMERICA TEAM

FIRST TEAM
G Lonzo Ball, UCLA (6-6, 190, Fr., Chino Hills, Calif.)
G Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga (6-3, 195, Jr., Happy Valley, Ore.)
G Josh Hart, Villanova (6-5.5, 215, Sr., Silver Spring, Md.)
G FRANK MASON III, Kansas (5-11, 190, Sr., Petersburg, Va.)
F Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (6-9, 250, So., Fort Wayne, Ind.)

SECOND TEAM
F Dillon Brooks, Oregon (6-7, 225, Jr., Mississauga, Ont.)
F/G Justin Jackson, North Carolina (6-8, 210, Jr., Tomball, Texas)
G Luke Kennard, Duke (6-6, 202, So., Franklin, Ohio)
G Malik Monk, Kentucky (6-3, 200, Fr., Lepanto, Ark.)
F Johnathan Motley, Baylor (6-10, 230, Jr., Houston, Texas)

KU’s ALL-TIME USBWA ALL-AMERICANS

Wilt Chamberlain (C 7-0 Philadelphia, Pa. HOF ’79)
1956-57 (So.)
1957-58 (Jr.)

Walt Wesley (C 6-11 Fort Myers, Fla.)
1965-66 (Sr.)

Jo Jo White (G 6-3 St. Louis, Mo. HOF ’15)
1967-68 (Jr.)
1968-69 (Sr.)

Danny Manning (F 6-11 Lawrence, Kan.)
1985-86 Second Team (So.)
1986-87 First Team (Jr.)
1987-88 First Team (Sr.)

Jacque Vaughn (G 6-1 Altadena, Calif.)
1995-96 Second Team (Jr.)
1996-97 Second Team (Sr.)

Raef LaFrentz (C 6-11 Monona, Iowa)
1996-97 First Team (Jr.)
1997-98 First Team (Sr.)

Paul Pierce (F 6-7 Inglewood, Calif.)
1997-98 First Team (Jr.)

Drew Gooden (C 6-10 Richmond, Calif.)
2001-02 First Team (Jr.)

Nick Collison (C 6-9 Iowa Falls, Iowa)
2002-03 First Team (Sr.)

Wayne Simien (F 6-9 Leavenworth, Kan.)
2004-05 First Team (Sr.)

Sherron Collins (G 5-11 Chicago, Ill.)
2008-09 Second Team (Jr.)
2009-10 First Team (Sr.)

Cole Aldrich (C 6-11 Bloomington, Minn.)
2009-10 Second Team (Jr.)

Marcus Morris (F 6-9 Philadelphia, Pa.)
2010-11 Second Team (Jr.)

Thomas Robinson (F 6-10 Washington, D.C.)
2011-12 First Team (Jr.)

Ben McLemore (G 6-5 St. Louis, Mo.)
2012-13 Second Team (Fr.)

Jeff Withey (C 7-0 San Diego, Calif.)
2012-13 Second Team (Sr.)

Andrew Wiggins (G 6-8 Vaughan, Ontario)
2013-14 Second Team (Fr.)

Frank Mason III (G 5-11 Petersburg, Va.)
2016-17 First Team (Sr.)

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