Mason, Few named AP’s top player, coach

Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz.

No piece of hardware could take Frank Mason III’s mind off what could have been.

The senior point guard from Kansas received the AP Player of the Year trophy Thursday at the Final Four. He was there without his teammates since the Jayhawks were eliminated in the regional final by Oregon.

I’ve still been thinking about it. It’s been on my mind a lot,” Mason said when asked if he had gotten over that loss. “And I just have to move on to what’s next. And I just look at the bigger picture and focus on everything that I can control.”

Mason said he expected to be at the Final Four with his teammates and coaches.

“You know, I didn’t plan on doing this,” Mason said. “My goals and our goals as a team was to be here as a family.”

Gonzaga coach Mark Few, the AP’s coach of the year, has his team here as the Zags (36-1) make their first Final Four appearance.

“I don’t know that it really truly sinks in. And again, it’s a credit to this team that God has put me in position to lead,” Few said. “But again, it’s not really about me. I mean, this is about Gonzaga and this year.”