Frank Mason facing tough competition for ESPY
By Stan Unruh
While Kansas basketball fans follow Frank Mason as he begins his NBA dream, they also want him to win another national award.
Kansas basketball hero Frank Mason hopes to add just one more honor to his enormous collection of college honors. The NCAA college basketball Player of the Year needs a museum to house all the honors. Kansas basketball fans want Mason wins another national award Wednesday night.
Just hours before Sacramento added Mason to their roster with the 34th pick in the NBA draft, ESPN named the Kansas basketball star a finalist for an ESPY.
"The ESPY Awards are presented by ESPN to recognize excellence in sports performance and achievement during the calendar year. ESPYS broadcast is Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC."
He is nominated as the Best Male College Athlete for 2016-17. Jayhawk fans are doing their part voting daily the past few weeks to help Mason win.
The last time Frank made a trip to Los Angeles, he brought home the Wooden Award as the nation’s top men’s college basketball player. It is almost old news considering the haul of trophies and awards he earned leading up to that honor. He won every award possible and made Kansas basketball fans proud.
If you pay attention to other college sports, name anyone who deserves this ESPY more than Mason. As a matter of fact, I am worried that the nation’s love affair with college football might hurt Mason’s chances.
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DeShaun Watson, the quarterback who led Clemson past Alabama for the NCAA football title is on the short list and probably Mason’s toughest competition for the award. You know Clemson fans will try to stuff the ballot box. The other nominees include Ian Harkes (Wake Forest, soccer), Matt Rambo (Maryland, lacrosse) and Zain Retherford (Penn State, wrestling)