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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017
Mason wins 3 national player of the year awards
NCAA.COM FINAL FOUR NCAA.COM FINAL FOUR NCAA.COM FINAL FOUR AP UNIVERSITY PRO AMERICAN Basketball Championship III Chancellor's Cup
Associated Press Deputy Director of Sports Products Barry Bedlan hands Kansas' Frank Mason III his AP Player of the Year trophy at a news conference Thursday, March 30, 2017, in Glendale, Arizona.
► AMIE JUST
@Amie_Just
F
rank Mason III is going to need a bigger trophy case.
Since Kansas' season concluded, Mason has won the AP Player of the Year award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Naismith Trophy, in addition to earning consensus All-American status.
Mason averaged 20.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds during his senior season, and sits No.6 all-time in Kansas program history in both points and assists. Mason is the first player in Jayhawk history to end their career ranked that high in those two categories.
Only three times in the past 20 years has a point guard swept the AP, Naismith and Robertson accolades. Michigan's Trey Burke did so in 2013 and St. Joseph's Jameer Nelson achieved the feat in 2004.
The Petersburg, Virginia, native won the AP Player of the Year award on March 30, marking the first Jayhawk to win the award since its inception in 1961.
"It is such a great honor and privilege to be here." Mason said after being presented with the AP trophy. "I have to thank my parents for putting me in this position and helping me become the man I am today."
Frank basically led us through every tough moment, which is what separates him from so many and makes him worthy of this award."
Bill Self Kansas Coach
Robertson himself presented Mason with the Oscar Robertson Trophy on March 31. Like the AP award, Mason was the first Jayhawk to take home the brass.
"Frank has had a terrific four years at Kansas. He has become better and matured each year, culminating with the best season that I've ever had a player have that I've coached," Bill Self said in a Kansas Athletics news release. "He was the leader, the personality and the most consistent performer on a very good team, averaging close to 21 points and more than five assists per game. More importantly, Frank basically led us through every tough moment, which
is what separates him from so many and makes him worthy of this award."
On April 2, Mason was awarded, yet again, with another accolade. This time around it was the James Naismith Trophy. Mason is the second Jayhawk to win the award, as Danny Manning took home the hardware in 1988.
"Dr. Naismith invented the game of basketball and we walk by his original rules every day in Allen Fieldhouse. He was Kansas' first coach so winning this award with his name on it and playing at Kansas brings this full circle," Mason said in a Kansas Athletics news release. "There is no way I could have won the
Naismith Trophy without great coaches, like coach (Bill) Self, the rest of the staff and great teammates. We accomplished a lot this season and this would not have been won without my teammates and coaches."
Awards season isn't over yet. Mason is still up for the Wooden Award and the Bob Cousy Award. The Wooden Award is presented to the best player in college basketball. The Cousy Award is given to the best point guard. The winner of those awards will be announced on April 7.
Edited by Paola Alor
FRANK MASON III'S ACCOLADES
• Associated Press Player of the Year
• Bleacher Report Player of the Year
• James Naismith Trophy
• NBC Sports Player of the Year
• Oscar Robertson Trophy
• Sporting News Player of the Year
• USA Today Player of the Year
• Consensus First-Team All-American
• Associated Press First-Team All-American
• Basketball Times First-Team All-American
• NABC First-Team All-American
• Sporting News First-Team All-American
• Wooden Award All-American
• USBWA First-Team All-American
• Big 12 Player of the Year
• First-Team All-Big 12
KU baseball narrowly defeats Texas, wins series
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MITCH GEORGE @MitchLGeorge
It was the most electric moment at Hoglund Ballpark this season.
Caitlyn Salazar/KANSAN Sophomore outfielder Rudy Karre makes his way to the base in Kansas' 2-1 win over Texas. The series is split 1-1.
With a runner on second base and two outs in the ninth inning, senior closing pitcher Stephen Villines commanded the mound with hopes to preserve the victory over the Texas Longhorns - a victory that would etch his name into the Kansas baseball record books.
The batter, Texas sophomore Tate Shaw, grounded a single through the left side of the infield. With the runner sprinting upon contact, a strong, accurate throw from sophomore left fielder Devin Foyle was needed in order to maintain the Jayhawk lead.
"That was a crazy play
Foyle delivered the ball to freshman catcher Jaxx Groshans on a one-hop off the turf, and Groshans narrowly applied the tag to the backside of the Texas runner to send Kansas home with its second Big 12 win by a final score of 2-1.
A strong, accurate throw is exactly what the Jayhawks got.
That was awesome," Villines said as his smile stretched ear-to-ear. "I had a front row seat, it was pretty sweet."
Kansas coach Ritch Price also spoke regarding the play by Foyle, saying, "He made a really nice throw... and [the play] was about as close as it can be."
Villines was credited with the save, moving him into a tie with 2006 graduate Don Czyz for first place in Kansas baseball history with 31. He broke Czyz's record on Sunday.
"The legend of Don, we all still talk about him, with [Paul] Smyth and [Jordan] Piche', they're all great guys up there," Villines said. "To be even considered with those guys is a big honor."
They're all great guys up there, to be even considered with those guys is a big honor."
Stephen Villines Senior Closing Pitcher
The ending of the game was memorable, but the game would not have been as close if the team hadn't received the superb contributions put forth by junior left-handed starting pitcher Taylor Turski.
Entering the game ranked fourth in the Big 12 in opponent batting average, Turski added another quality start to his résumé as he pitched six scoreless innings, surrendered only three hits and struck out eight Texas batters.
He occasionally found himself in jams,but he worked himself out of them all and continued pitching his masterpiece.
Turski has posted five quality starts this season, three of which have come against then-ranked opponents - No.16 Virginia,No. 23 Stanford and No.3 TCU.
"As a pitcher, it's all about the composure," Turski said. "If you hold yourself well up there and you know you're good enough to get out of it, you'll get out of it."
A quality start is quantified as a pitcher completing the first six innings of a game while allowing three or fewer
"He's got great make-up and he's got great maturity," Price said. "He came here to pitch against Texas and TCU, and the rest of the great programs that we play."
runs.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, junior first baseman Owen Taylor stepped into the batter's box to the tune of his signature walk-up song, the opening sequence of Star Wars. With two strikes in the count and the bases loaded, Texas pitcher Morgan Cooper planted a pitch into Taylor's leg, which forced in Kansas' first run of the ballgame.
Texas escaped the inning without further damage, but Kansas struck again in the sixth when freshman right fielder Brett Vosik drove in fellow freshman Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi to extend the Jayhawk lead to two.
The Longhorns' only run came in the ninth when
Villines allowed a runner to score before Foyle made the game-defining play.
The Jayhawks are aiming to add to their repertoire of wins against quality Big 12 teams - a list that now includes both Texas and TCU.
"I really like this team," Price said. "I love the athleticism of the young guys."
Kansas won the series, defeating Texas 5-4 on Sunday.
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