Senior Guard Becomes Second Kansas Player to Win the Award
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (April 2, 2017) – University of Kansas senior Frank Mason III has been named winner of the 2017 Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club today announced today. Mason edged out fellow finalists Lonzo Ball (UCLA), Josh Hart (Villanova University) and Caleb Swanigan (Purdue University) to claim the James A. Naismith Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding men’s college basketball player.
The 5-foot-11 guard was honored earlier today at the Naismith Awards Brunch delivered by UPS. He joins Danny Manning (1988) as the only two Naismith Trophy recipients from Kansas, and becomes the sixth Big 12 recipient, following a pair each from the University of Oklahoma (Buddy Hield, 2016; Blake Griffin, 2009) and the University of Texas (Kevin Durant, 2007; T.J. Ford, 2003).
Mason was 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, and by fans, who were eligible to vote at www.naismithtrophy.com/vote from March 20-31. 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.
The 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team (both unanimous selections), Mason averaged 20.9 points per game and was the first Kansas player to lead the Big 12 in scoring since 2004- 05. The Petersburg, Virginia, native also led the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.490), while ranking fourth in assists (5.2 apg). Mason, who will graduate from Kansas with a liberal arts and science degree in May 2017, became the first player in Big 12 and Kansas history to average 20.0 points and 5.0 assists per game for a season. Mason concluded his career sixth on the KU career-scoring list at 1,885 and sixth in career assists at 576. He is only player in Kansas history to rank that high in both career points and assists.
“This is one of those seasons for the ages where all the hard work, drive and dedication led to superb individual and team success for Frank, and our voters recognized that by selecting him as the 2017 Citizen Naismith Trophy winner,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
“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. “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.”
“Frank has had a terrific four years at Kansas, one in which he has become better and matured each year, culminating with the best season of any player have that I’ve coached and he’s deserving of the Naismith Trophy,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “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.”
“Citizen, a brand that is proud to support academic youths through their scholarly endeavors, is thrilled to partner with the Atlanta Tipoff Club to announce Frank Mason III as the winner of the 2017 Citizen Naismith Trophy,” said Eric Horowitz, U.S. Managing Director of Citizen Watch. “Mason represents the excitement of academic passion and drive as well as the strength and dedication that Citizen believes are necessary qualities for success.”
The Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented in 1969 to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor. Other notable winners have included Larry Bird (1979, Indiana State University), Michael Jordan (1984, University of North Carolina), David Robinson (1987, United States Naval Academy) and Tim Duncan (1997, Wake Forest University).
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which are the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top men’s and women’s college basketball players, coaches, administrators and officials. The Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969.
ABOUT CITIZEN WATCH
As a true manufacture d’horlogerie, CITIZEN integrates a comprehensive manufacturing process that extends from creating a watch’s individual components to its final assembly. We operate in over 130 countries across the world. Since our founding in 1918, we have continued to explore new possibilities of a watch through our constant development from the world’s first light-powered technology, Eco- Drive, to the state-of-the-art satellite wave watch, based on our belief, “Now is the time to start to make the world better,” summarized in our brand statement, “BETTER STARTS NOW.” CITIZEN will continue to push the boundaries for the future of watches.
###
Media Contacts:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
tmessier@jacksonspalding.com
404-214-3596
Kaitlin Derkach
The Promotion Factory for Citizen Watch Company
Kaitlin@thepromofact.com
212-217-9065