by Alan Hoskins
Frank Mason enjoyed his first visit to the T-Bones so much that he’s coming back and bringing a whole bunch of friends.
A unanimous All-American and the NCAA College Basketball Player of the Year at the University of Kansas a year ago, Mason is holding a Frank Mason and Friends celebrity softball game at the T-Bones Saturday, June 16. Gates will open at 1 p.m. with a home run derby at 2 p.m. and the game at 3 p.m.
While the rosters have yet to be completed, invitees include All-American Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk of this year’s KU team; former Jayhawk stars Ben McLemore, Wayne Selden, Landon Lucas, Sherron Collins and Travis Releford; Harry Giles, Mason’s teammate with the Sacramento Kings; Kansas State’s Wesley Iwundu, now with the Orlando Magic and other former K-Staters; and a bunch of surprises.
The game will be a fundraiser for Children’s Mercy Hospital and the National Youth Foundation.
“I really wanted to come back to Kansas to give back for all I got in my four or five years here,” Mason said. “I want to show I really appreciate it.”
Mason averaged 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 52 games with Sacramento in his rookie season. A foot injury sidelined him for a month and half.
“I think it was an all-right season,” said Mason, who was a second round draft selection by the Kings..
Just 5-foot-11, size was considered a concern when Mason came out of KU but not by Mason.
“Size never came across my mind; I honestly think I’m 7-foot,” said Mason, noting he particularly enjoyed playing against 6-8, 250-pound LeBron James. When he was 7 or 8 years old, Mason met James in Las Vegas and told him, “I can score on you, man. I’ll be in the NBA one day. I said it as a little kid. I’ve scored on him three times so far.”
Mason said the transition from college to high school was more difficult than the move from college to the NBA.
“In high school I was scoring 30 points a game for about three years and then when I came to college I was a reserve coming off the bench,” he said. The biggest change in moving to the NBA? “The travel,” said Mason. “It seems like we’re traveling every other day.”
Mason said he will play in the softball game and predicted his team would win.
“We’ve not split the teams up yet. Anybody who is serious about the game and really trying to win will probably be on my team.”
He showed some baseball skills when he threw the ceremonial opening pitch at the T-Bones opening game Tuesday.
“I’ll throw an 80 mile an hour fast ball right down the middle,” predicted Mason, who indeed busted a fast ball for a strike to T-Bones pitcher Jackson Lowery.
Tickets to the softball game will start at $10 and are available along with other details on the National Youth Foundation website, www.nationalyouthfoundation.org/. Tickets can also be purchased through the T-Bones, www.tbonesbaseball.com/.
