Frank Mason III named Naismith Trophy finalist

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Naismith Trophy

ATLANTA – Kansas senior guard Frank Mason III has been named one of four finalists for the James A. Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Sunday.

Joining Mason as finalists are Lonzo Ball (UCLA), Josh Hart (Villanova) and Caleb Swanigan (Purdue). Mason is vying to become the second Jayhawk to win the Naismith Trophy joining 1988 winner Danny Manning.

The 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year, who has already earned numerous National Player of the Year and first-team All-America honors, Mason leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring with a 20.8 average. The Petersburg, Virginia, native is the only conference player averaging 20 points or more this season. After his 22 points against UC Davis (3/17) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Mason has 20 games of 20 points or more, including his last four and nine of his last 11 contests. Mason has led Kansas in scoring in 24 games this season. Mason also leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 48.4 percent and with his 5.2 assists per game is vying to become the first player in Big 12 and KU history to average 20 or more points and 5.0 or more assists in the same season.

The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, who based their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2016-17 college basketball season. The vote was tabulated and certified by Aprio, formerly Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, the largest full-service, independent CPA-led business advisory firm, based in Atlanta.

This year, fans have a say in the choosing the winner. Between March 20-31 fans can visit naismithtrophy.com/vote to cast their ballot for one of these four Naismith Trophy finalists. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 31 and fans are limited to one vote per day. The fan vote will account for five percent of the total vote.

The 2017 Naismith Trophy winner will be announced on Sunday, April 2 at the Naismith Awards Brunch delivered by UPS at the Final Four in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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