Former KU Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III to represent USA in upcoming tournament

Former University of Kansas men’s basketball guard Frank Mason III is one of 12 individuals selected to play for the United States team in the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup set for Sept. 2-11 in Recife, Brazil, USA Basketball announced Saturday.

The AmeriCup team includes 2017 national college basketball player of the year Mason, plus Zylan Cheatham, Gary Clark Jr., Norris Cole, Will Davis II, Anthony Lamb, Patrick McCaw, Jodie Meeks, Jeremy Pargo, Elijah Pemberton, Craig Sword and Stephen Zimmerman.

All 12 athletes on the team have prior USA Basketball experience.

Mason, a 5-foot-11, 28-year-old native of Petersburg, Virginia, most recently played next to Davis in the November 2021 World Cup Qualifying tournament. The team will be coached by Alex Jensen (Utah Jazz). His assistants will be Mike Williams (Capital City Go-Go of G League) and Steve Wojciechowski (former Marquette coach).

The 11th FIBA AmeriCup, the FIBA Americas zone championship held every four years, was originally slated to be contested in 2021 before being rescheduled because of the pandemic.

Team USA is defending FIBA AmeriCup champions. The U.S. has claimed a record seven gold medals and one silver medal since the event’s inception in 1980. In 2017, the U.S. went 5-0 and defeated Argentina in the gold medal game..

The USA will compete in Group C and face Mexico in an opening game on Sept. 2.

Former KU guard Mason has not yet signed a contract to play pro ball for the 2022-23 season. There have been reports he’s being pursued by AEK Athens, a pro team in Greece. The second-round draft pick played for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings in 2017-18 and 2018-19 and split time with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Bucks’ G League team in 2019-20. In 2020-21 he played four games for the Orlando Magic.

He averaged 20.9 points and 5.2 assists per game in 2016-17, his senior season at KU.