Frank Mason III had begun the college basketball season wonderfully, but one particular series of practices was going miserably. “He was having like a moody, crappy two days,” coach Bill Self said.

It is the kind of thing that can happen on the way to conference play, and conference tournaments, and the NCAAs. Playing and winning always is delightful. Periodically, preparing to play and win can become less so.

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“I almost got emotional,” Self told Sporting News. “I said, ‘Frank, is there anybody in this gym that loves this school more than you?'”

“'Nope,'” Mason answered. “'Nobody.'”

“'Would it mean anything to you to have your jersey hung up there for the rest of time?'” Self asked.

“'Uh, yeah,'” Mason said. “'I hadn’t thought about it, but yeah.'”

“I said: 'Do you not understand that could happen?'” Self concluded.

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When Mason was a two-year starter at point guard, a double-figure scorer on one Kansas team that lost in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and another that came so close but fell in the Elite Eight, that never seemed remotely possible. He was a very good college player. There are no very good players with jerseys that are hung in the end zone at Allen Fieldhouse. That is reserved for all-time greats, among them Paul Pierce, JoJo White, Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning and Clyde Lovellette.

At some point in the future, perhaps if he is playing in the NBA and can make it back to Lawrence during the All-Star break, they will have a ceremony to place the number 0 of Frank Mason III into the Allen Fieldhouse rafters. Because that is what they do, automatically, for any Kansas players honored as a national player of the year.

And Frank Mason III is Sporting News' national Player of the Year for the 2016-17 season. As is the case with the KU greats he will join in the Allen rafters, he is entering some staggering company, from Oscar Robertson to Pete Maravich, from Bill Walton to Phil Ford, from Patrick Ewing to Tim Duncan and Kenyon Martin to Buddy Hield.

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“I told him, ‘If you’re the best player in our league, that’s an automatic,'” Self said. “We weren’t even talking about national player of the year. We were just talking about trying to be the best player in the league.

“Everybody’s got their guy that’s a treat to coach, and I understand that. But he has just been an absolute joy.”

Mason is averaging 20.5 points, 5.1 assists and 49.3 percent shooting from 3-point range. He has attempted 205 free throws and converted 78 percent of them. He has maintained a 20-point average while scoring 25 or more only six times. He just gets 20 every night for a team that won a 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship and is, at 28-3, headed toward a second consecutive No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. That’s what he does.

Remember, when the season began Mason was coming off consecutive seasons in which he averaged fewer than 13 points and fewer than five assists. He shot 43 percent from the field last season and 38 percent from 3-point range. He was a sturdy defender who rarely was beaten off the dribble and routinely picked up steals.

He was, along with center Landen Lucas and shooting guard Devonte’ Graham, merely one of three very good starters returning for KU. Mason was not projected as the Big 12 Player of the Year in the official league poll, or in the Sporting News yearbook. He was not projected to be the best player in America by his coach.

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“No,” Self admitted.

The only poll that foresaw this step toward greatness was the Frank Mason poll.

“I would just say hard work, taking care of my body, just improving in all areas,” Mason said. “My conditioning, ballhandling, most importantly my shooting. I think I improved my leadership skills. It was more about accepting my roles the past few years and this year, I just feel more aggressive.”

Mason’s progression this season is a microcosm of his entire college career. He was a three-star prospect at Petersburg (Va.) High, according to Scout.com. He was not included among the top 20 players at his position and not among the top 100 prospects in the country. When he was offered a scholarship by Towson, he eagerly — and proudly — committed.

“Coming from where I come from, that was good, from the environment I come from,” Mason said. “My family was really proud of me. I was just trying to take the first opportunity I could for a free scholarship. I always knew I was better than Towson. I was just taking the opportunity that was given to me. But it worked out differently. I just thank God that everything happens for a reason and I’m here at Kansas today.”

What happened was that Mason failed a class in his senior year of high school that cost him the opportunity to qualify for Division I eligibility. He decided to attend Massanutten Military Academy in his home state, but before he even showed up there he caught the attention of Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend during a summer tournament.

FLASHBACK: Mason flashed potential in 2015 vs. Canada

Mason said he played lots of times in high school and summer ball against prospects with grander reputations, more stars on their ratings, more prominent colleges chasing them. He knew he was as good, or better. Probably better. He chooses not to name any names now, because it is not his style, but how many point guards from the classes of 2012 or 2013 have had such exceptional careers? Marcus Smart at Oklahoma State, Kris Dunn at Providence, Yogi Ferrell at Indiana? Maybe. But only Mason went from mid-major recruit to Sporting News Player of the Year.

Oh, and he progressed as a student, too: He will graduate in the spring with a degree in liberal arts & sciences.

“Every interview, every time he’s ever spoken to, he never once mentions himself,” Self said. “He really means that. That is who he is, and the players all respect that so much. He gets so much attention, and all he does is try to deflect it to everybody else. He’s like the perfect teammate; not perfect by any stretch, but they know he’ll fight for them.”

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In fact, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Mason’s season has been his willingness — eagerness, in fact — to embrace freshman Josh Jackson’s emergence as Kansas’ most undeniable offensive force. Over the past 13 games, as Jackson has improved his 3-point shooting to beyond 50 percent accuracy and forced defenders to take that part of his game seriously, his ridiculous athleticism has given defenses too many options to manage.

MORE: Jackson among SN's freshman All-Americans

Mason’s response to this: He has, over that stretch, averaged almost exactly the same number of points per game (20.7) as before Jackson accelerated (20.3).

“Devonte' and Frank and Landen — more so than anybody — totally see Josh’s strengths and have understood we need to play off of that,” Self said. “You see a lot of older guys (think), 'This is my time.' They’ve figured out the way it can be their time and still totally utilize him.

“Frank totally respects Josh’s talent, and everybody in the room knows Josh is the best prospect, by far. But I don’t think anybody in the room would say they want anybody with the ball in his hands more than Frank."