Former KU guard Frank Mason III leads Jayhawks to TBT win

Former University of Kansas point guard Frank Mason III, named college basketball player of the year in 2017, looks like he hasn’t taken a step backwards at age 30.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound native of Petersburg, Virginia scored 20 points on 9 of 13 shooting to lead the KU alumni team (Mass Street) to an 81-68 first-round TBT victory over the Colorado State alumni team (Ram Up) on Saturday at Koch Arena in Wichita.

Mason, a second-round NBA Draft pick of the Sacramento Kings in 2017 who played professional baseball in France last season, scored on several dramatic drives to the basket, hitting eight inbounds shots and making one 3-pointer.

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Mason also had four assists and grabbed two rebounds. His only negative Saturday came at the free throw line, where he made 1 of 4 free throws.

“It was a close game. (I’m) glad we came away with the win,” Mason said after the game. “The guys battled. We played together, we had fun. On to the next one.”

Of a professional KU crowd in Wichita, he said, “They’re always great. They always bring energy. That’s what Jayhawk fans do. We’re so happy to have them here, we can’t wait for them to come out for the next game.”

Mason, a four-year player at KU, shared the spotlight in KU’s opening win with power forward Billy Preston, who played in several exhibition games but never played in a regular-season game during his one season (2017-18) at KU.

The 26-year-old Preston, who is 6-foot-1 and weighs 240 pounds, scored 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds for Mass Street. With the win, Mass Street advanced to the second round against Florida TNT on Monday at 6 p.m. They won the first round 81-61 against the LA Cheaters on Saturday.

Preston was 0-of-4 from 3, but 4-of-5 from the free throw line.

“Billy was great for us tonight. He was one of the main reasons we won the game,” Mason said. “Hopefully he can keep that up next game.”

Forward Dedric Lawson, a league MVP 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 made a 3 in two attempts for the Jayhawks, who were 6 of 20 from beyond the arc. Ram Up was 5 of 29 from 3.

The former Colorado State players made 24 of 68 shots for 35.3%. KU made 30 of 58 for 51.7%.

All nine KU players who dressed for the game scored. Lagerald Vick made 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 Pumas and handed them to Dedric Lawson, who put them on before hitting two free throws to end the game via the Elam Ending. Each player wearing Pumas who reaches the Elam Ending goal score receives $1,000.

Colorado State’s Ram Up team was led by Joseph Palmer and Joel Scott, who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively.

KU’s Mason set the tone early, scoring seven points to give KU a 19-9 lead after one quarter. On one play, he drove to the basket and banked in a shot before falling to the floor. KU set an aggressive tone early. Young blocked a shot by Tarekeyi Edogi; Dedric Lawson blocked a shot by Scott; and Cunliffe blocked a shot by Patrick Cartier.

At one point in the second quarter, Dedric Lawson fouled Palmer hard on an inside shot, causing Palmer to slowly get off the floor. The two shook hands as play continued.

Mason, who turned 30 on April 3, scored through traffic in the second quarter by cashing in a left-foot 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 period when the Elam final score (first team to 81 points) took effect. The Jayhawks’ big lead was never threatened.

If KU wins Monday, it will advance to the TBT Wichita Regional Championship game, which will be played Wednesday at 8 p.m., also in Koch.

The winner of the Wichita Regional will play the winner of the Houston Regional in the quarterfinals on July 29 or 30 (the official date, time and location of the match have yet to be determined).

The semifinals and the $1 million winner-take-all championship match will be held in Philadelphia at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on August 2-4. A total of 64 teams will compete in the tournament.