Former University of Kansas point guard Frank Mason III, college basketball’s consensus player of the year in 2017, looks as if he hasn’t lost a step at the age of 30.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Petersburg, Virginia native scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting to pace KU’s alumni team (Mass Street) to an 81-68 first-round TBT victory over Colorado State’s alumni squad (Ram Up) on Saturday at Koch Arena in Wichita.
Mason, a second-round NBA Draft pick of the Sacramento Kings in 2017 who played pro ball in France last season, scored off a variety of spectacular drives to the basket in knocking down eight inside shots to go with one 3-pointer.
Mason also dished four assists and grabbed two rebounds. His only negative Saturday came at the free throw stripe, where he connected on 1 of 4 free throws.
“It was an exciting game. (I’m) happy we came out with the win,” Mason said after the game . “Guys competed. We played together, We had fun. On to the next one.”
Of a pro KU crowd in Wichita, he said: “They (fans) are always great. They always bring energy. That’s what Jayhawk fans do. We’re so excited to have them, We can’t wait for them to show up next match.”
Mason, who played four years at KU, shared the spotlight in KU’s opening win with power forward Billy Preston, who played in several exhibition games but never a regular-season contest during his one season (2017-18) at KU.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound, 26-year-old Preston scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds for Mass Street, which by winning, advanced to Monday’s 6 p.m. second-round game against Florida TNT, an 81-61 first-round winner Saturday over the L.A. Cheaters.
Preston was 0-for-4 from 3 but 4-of-5 from the line.
“Billy was great for us tonight. He was one of the major reasons we won the game,” Mason said. “Hopefully he can keep that going the next game.”
Forward Dedric Lawson, MVP of a league in South Korea in 2023-24, scored 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting. He was 2-of-5 from 3 and 4-of-4 from the line with nine rebounds.
His brother, Chandler Lawson, who played at Arkansas a year ago, had seven points on 2-of-4 shooting. Chandler hit a 3 in two attempts for the Jayhawks, who went 6-of-20 from beyond the arc. Ram Up was 5-of-29 from 3.
The former Colorado State players overall hit 24 of 68 shots for 35.3%. KU went 30-of-58 for 51.7%.
All nine KU players that dressed for the game scored. Lagerald Vick hit two 3s and finished with eight points and three rebounds. Sam Cunliffe had four points on 1-of-5 shooting. Jamari Traylor scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting and former Utah State guard Travis Washington added two points on 1-of-2 shooting.
Kevin Young, who had three rebounds, was involved in a feel-good moment. He took off his Puma shoes and gave them to Dedric Lawson, who put them on prior to hitting two free throws to end the contest via the Elam Ending. Any player wearing Pumas who hits the target score of the Elam Ending receives $1,000.
Colorado State’s Ram Up team was led by Joseph Palmer and Joel Scott, who had 20 and 19 points respectively.
KU’s Mason set the tone early, scoring seven points to lift KU to a 19-9 lead after one quarter. On one play he drove to the basket and banked in a shot prior to tumbling to the floor. KU set an aggressive tone early. Young blocked a shot of Tarekeyi Edogi; Dedric Lawson denied a shot of Scott and Cunliffe blocked a shot of Patrick Cartier.
At one point in the second quarter, Dedric Lawson fouled Palmer hard on an inside shot, with Palmer slow getting up off the floor. The two shook hands as play continued.
Mason, who turned 30 on April 3, in the second quarter scored through traffic by cashing a left-handed layup. He also went coast-to-coast for a layup. Mason had a spectacular finger-roll inside shot to end the third quarter.
KU led 73-55 in the fourth when the Elam ending (first team to 81 points) went into effect. The Jayhawks’ big lead was never threatened.
If KU wins Monday, it would advance to the TBT Wichita Regional championship game at 8 p.m. Wednesday, also at Koch.
The winner of the Wichita Regional will play the winner of the Houston Regional in the quarterfinals on July 29 or 30 (official game date, time, and location to be determined).
The semifinals and $1 million winner-take-all championship game will be Aug. 2 and Aug. 4 in Philadelphia at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. In all, there are 64 teams in the tourney.
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