The son of former Kansas University athletic director Bob Frederick will play basketball the next three years at Kansas State.

In a wild twist, Mark Frederick, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard and 2001 Lawrence High graduate, has been added to the K-State men’s hoop team as a walk-on. Frederick, who attended KU the past two years but didn’t play basketball, has three years of eligibility remaining.

“I’m really excited, (but) it will take awhile to get used to this,” Mark Frederick told the Journal-World Friday night from Manhattan. “My friends tease me a lot about it, but it’s all in good fun. Everybody’s happy for me.”

Frederick had tried out for KU’s team, but didn’t make the final cut. Undaunted, he worked on his game and contacted coaches from K-State and Wichita State this summer about walking on.

“I missed the game a lot. I was looking at places around close to home to play,” Mark Frederick said. “I looked at Wichita State, Emporia State and Kansas State. Wichita State and Emporia State had too many guys on the roster this year.

“I called K-State and met with assistant coach Mike Miller and coach (Jim) Wooldridge and talked to them. They were great to me. I went down this summer and played with the players and they asked me to join the team.

“I see it as a great opportunity. Coach Wooldridge is a great leader and the program is on the rise in one of the premier conferences in America.”

Frederick is hoping to someday become a coach like his brother, Brad, a former North Carolina walk-on now in his fifth year on the Vanderbilt staff.

Ex-Jayhawk AD Bob Frederick now must root for K-State hoops as well as KU.

“Well, I mean yes. He’s my son, just like when Brad was at North Carolina I was a North Carolina fan,” Bob said. “I am really happy for Mark. He’s really excited about it. Coach Wooldridge and Miller have been just tremendous to him and very straightforward about this opportunity.”

Bob Frederick said Mark had grown three inches and gained 30 pounds since his senior year at LHS where he started on a team that lost to Free State in the sub-state finals.

“It’s funny, when he was a junior I told Brad I thought about the time Mark was a sophomore or junior in college he’d have a chance to play,” Bob Frederick said. “He hadn’t had any physical maturity yet. He’s worked very hard at KU two years lifting weights and playing ball, trying to get better.”

Mark Frederick isn’t banking on playing much this season.

“We’ve got 16 guys and three seniors back with a good recruiting class,” he said. “So I mean I’m not concerned about getting in games, just thrilled with the fact I get to go out every day and try to make myself a better player. It’ll be a great experience.”

As far as KU … “I’ll still root for KU when K-State is not playing them,” he said. “I know a lot of guys on the team and a lot of coaches. I have a great deal of respect for them all.”