Oscar Robertson presents the 2017 Oscar Robertson Trophy to Frank Mason III, Kansas senior guard who becomes the second consecutive U.S. Basketball Writers Association player of the year winner from the Big 12 conference. Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield, now with the Sacramento Kings, was the 2016 winner. (Photo courtesy of USBWA.)

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Kansas guard Frank Mason III, a 5-11 senior from Petersburg, Virginia, has been selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association as the 2017 winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy, awarded to the men's national college player of the year. Oscar Robertson personally presented the trophy to Mason on Friday, March 31, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, site of this year's NCAA Men's Final Four.

Mason averaged 20.9 points and 5.1 assists per game this season while leading Kansas to a 31-5 record, including a trip to the Elite Eight and a 13th consecutive Big 12 championship. He shot 48.7% from three-point range and finished his career with 1885 points, sixth on Kansas' all-time scoring list.

"Frank was the leader, the personality and the most consistent performer on a very good team," said Kansas coach Bill Self. "He matured each year, culminating with the best season that one of my players has ever had."

The Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented annually by the USBWA since 1959, is the premier men's college player of the year award. It is also the only such award actually named after a player or a living namesake - in this case, the National Association of Basketball Coaches' "Player of the Century" and the first three-time national college player of the year.

The trophy is an 18" bronze sculpture created in 2005 by world-renowned St. Louis sculptor Harry Weber on commission from the USBWA and is based on the famous photo of Oscar Robertson rebounding against Kansas State. Weber's bronze sculptures are in the permanent collections of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and the National Dog Museum, as well as private collections across the U.S. and overseas, and have been featured at the Museum of Fine Arts in Newport, Rhode Island.

UCLA has the most Oscar Robertson Trophy winners with nine, followed by Duke University with seven. Kenyon Martin was the first University of Cincinnati player to win the award since The Big O himself last won in 1960. For the complete list of winners since 1959, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Two permanent display cases, one of Oscar Robertson Trophy winners and one of memorabilia from The Big O's career dating back to Indianapolis Crispus Attucks High School, have been set up in the entrance hall at Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers and site of the 2006 Oscar Robertson Trophy presentation. Larry Bird, president of basketball operations for the Pacers, assisted The Big O in unveiling the display cases.

Last update 03/31/2017