Through the Phog
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Kansas basketball: A new reason to dislike Texas

By Stan Unruh

GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 31: Frank Mason III of the Kansas Jayhawks attends a press conference after being awarded the 2016-17 Oscar Robertson Trophy ahead of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 31, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 31: Frank Mason III of the Kansas Jayhawks attends a press conference after being awarded the 2016-17 Oscar Robertson Trophy ahead of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 31, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Kansas basketball fans have just one more reason to dislike Texas.  Frank Mason is forced to share an award with a Longhorn swimmer.

For the past four years, Kansas basketball fans have marveled at the accomplishments of  Frank Mason.  The 2017 National Player of the Year and First Team All-American needs a museum to show off all his trophies. Except for the goofy ESPY award last month, Mason won everything in leading the Jayhawks to a 13th straight conference title. Now the conference wants Mason to share the Big 12 Men’s Athlete of the Year Award with an athlete from the University of Texas.

I am in no way suggesting that Texas swimmer Will Licon is at fault in this.  The young man is an accomplished NCAA champion swimmer. He did win all five of his events at this year’s NCAA championships.  He won two breastroke events an individual medley and a couple of relay races.

Mason is the only player in KU basketball history to average 20 points and five assists a game.  Nobody in the brief history of the Big 12 conference ever did this. When I read this, I honestly though it was a joke.  Is anyone paying attention at the Big 12 headquarters?

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I am not sure how you compare a college basketball season and swimming.  Did the Texas fans out-vote Kansas basketball fans?  I seriously doubt it.  No athlete in the history of the award has shared it.  Former Kansas basketball stars Nick Collison and Jacque Vaughn won this award. They didn’t share it.  I think someone, somewhere didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the Longhorns.  I give me just one more reason to be mad at Texas.

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