Frank Mason III, one of KU’s all-time greats, speaks of upcoming TBT experience

The Kansas Jayhawks’ entry in the 2024 TBT basketball tourney will be headlined by 2017 Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy winner Frank Mason III — not only the Big 12’s, but the entire country’s, consensus player of the year.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound, 30-year-old native of Petersburg, Virginia said in a Zoom call Thursday he’s looking forward to teaming with 2012 Big 12 player of the year Thomas Robinson and 2019 first-team all-Big 12 selection Dedric Lawson, as well as former KU players Mario Little, Jamari Traylor, Malik Newman, Lagerald Vick, Kevin Young, Silvio De Sousa and Sam Cunliffe.

The squad will play a TBT tune-up against Kansas State’s alumni team at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Johnson County Community College.

“The format of the TBT is kind of like an alumni NCAA Tournament which is really cool,” said Mason, who played professionally in France this past season.

The Jayhawks will open the $1 million, winner-take-all tournament against a team of former Colorado State players at 7 p.m. one week from Saturday at Wichita’s Koch Arena.

“I think it’s going to be a really exciting time, just to play with the guys I played with in the past, kind of catch up with everybody,” Mason said. “I’m looking forward to competing with them and even the guys I didn’t play with at Kansas. I think it’s going to be a really cool experience and something that I’ll never forget and always cherish.”

The Jayhawks’ team, which goes by the name “Mass Street” will be coached by 2010 first-team All-American Sherron Collins, now the head coach at Kansas City’s Oak Park High School.

“Just a few of us have spoken,” Mason said of his TBT teammates. “I think the goal is just to go out and win. That’s the only goal for us. We don’t want to go out and just be there. We want to take advantage of the opportunity and come out on top.”

The Jayhawks team, coached a year ago by Marcus and Markieff Morris, went 2-1 in the 2023 TBT.

Mason, who turned 30 on April 3, was a second-round pick of the Sacramento Kings in the 2017 NBA Draft. He played four seasons in the NBA — two for Sacramento, one for Milwaukee and one for Orlando. He’s also played in Lebanon, Italy and France.

“I honestly think I’m still the same player,” Mason said Thursday. “I kind of play the same way. I just got older, so I don’t know how to explain that. I’m still aggressive, get to the basket whenever I can, create for teammates, shoot the ball really well, and I’m just still extremely competitive. So I think I still have the game, same game from college. I just got a little older.”

As far as the TBT … if Mass Street defeats Colorado State’s team, it would face the winner of Florida TNT and the LA Cheaters at 6 p.m. Monday, July 22 at Koch Arena. The Wichita Regional championship game is at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24 on FS1. It, too, will be played at Wichita’s Koch Arena.

The KU alumni team is seeded second in the Wichita Regional behind the “AfterShocks” — Wichita State’s alumni squad.

Mass Street is organized by former KU players Travis Releford and Tyshawn Taylor.

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 championship game will be Aug. 2 and Aug. 4 in Philadelphia at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

For more information about Mass Street and tickets for this year’s Wichita Regional, visit TheTournament.com.

“It should be exciting. It’s like a brotherhood at Kansas, and I’m looking forward to competing with my brothers,” Mason said.