Frank Mason III Wins 2016-17 Wooden Award

Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III added to his stacked trophy case when he captured the 2016-17 Wooden Award and was recognized as the nation's most outstanding player during Friday's awards show in Los Angeles .    

The honor completes an award-season sweep for Mason, per Matt Galloway of the Topeka Capital-Journal:

College basketball's premier hardware collector this past season, Mason also secured Naismith and Associated Press Player of the Year nods during a standout senior campaign with the Jayhawks. 

In 36 games, he averaged a career-high 20.9 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Mason's combined scoring and assist average this season marked the first time anyone in the Big 12 reached those heights:

According to Sports Reference, Mason joined Washington's Markelle Fultz and Northeastern's T.J. Williams as the only players to average at least 20 points, five dimes, four boards and a steal during the 2016-17 season. 

"The improvement he's made from year three to year four, from one to four, is phenomenal," West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins said, per the Kansas City Star's Blair Kerkhoff. "It took a whole lot of work. He put in enormous time in the gym. It’s good to see somebody work that hard and get the accolades he deserves."

The Big 12 Player of the Year also received praise from Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lon Kruger for the way he diversified his on-and-off-ball skill sets. 

"He can hurt you in so many ways," Kruger said, per Kerkhoff. "He’s become such a great shooter. With a guy that quick, who can also shoot it, if you step at him at all, he goes by you so strong."

The next step for Mason will be building on those improvements and convincing an NBA team he's worth a shot despite his diminutive 5'11" frame. 

If the decorated floor general can do just that, he could emerge as one of the true diamonds in the rough from a 2017 draft class loaded with stellar point guards.