Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) and Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) celebrate Graham's fifth three-pointer of the half during the first half on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas senior Frank Mason III on Sunday night received the first of what figures to be at least a handful of national player of the year nods, this one coming from Bleacher Report. By mid-day Monday, Mason had racked up another, from NBC Sports, and also was included on several All-American teams voted on by various other national publications.

But even on the heels of winning Big 12 player of the year earlier Sunday and starting to rack up national accolades, all Mason wanted to talk about was the team. Specifically, the one thing that has eluded the Jayhawks throughout his stellar Kansas career — a trip to the Final Four.

“I think about it all the time,” Mason said Monday afternoon. “You know, it’s the last go-round, and (we’re) just trying to do everything we can to make it to that point. I definitely think about it all the time.”

Regardless of how this season winds up for the top-ranked Jayhawks (28-3), Mason is a big reason Kansas is viewed as one of the favorites to get to the Final Four. But it’s not just his ability to score (20.5 points per game), pass (5.1 assists per game), defend and lead that impresses, it’s also the fact that his unmatched work ethic and drive have rubbed off on his teammates and become this team’s identity.

With his team set to open play in the Big 12 tournament Thursday as the league’s No. 1 seed — and poised to follow that up with yet another No. 1 seed in the Big Dance — KU coach Bill Self was asked to pinpoint his team’s identity, something that, a month or two ago, was unclear. While answering the question, Self talked about the team, but he might as well have been talking individually about Mason.

“I think the identity for this team, as much as anything, is mental toughness,” Self said. “I think it’s a pretty mentally tough team. Doesn’t mean you’re going to play well. It seems like, to me, they enjoy the harder moments more. Very rarely have I been around a team that actually enjoys it when it’s hard. You know, most teams would go into an opposing crowd and say, ‘OK, now let’s figure out a way to take the crowd out of the game.’ They go in there saying, ‘No, give us what you got. This makes it more fun.'”

That mindset has helped Kansas survive an unusually high number of close games this season. And Mason has been a big reason for that. To say that Self, or anybody else for that matter, believed that a national player of the year season from Mason was coming when the Jayhawks rolled the balls out for the first practice back in October would be a reach. But to say that Mason’s monster season came out of nowhere would be equally as inaccurate.

“I think he made a big jump,” Self said. “But I thought he was pretty darn good as a sophomore and I thought he was pretty darn good as a junior. I just think that he wasn’t looking to score as much…. I think he’s improved in all phases, leadership, intangibles, but, primarily, his consistency shooting the basketball. He’s always been a good finisher and everything, but I think he’s more aggressive and looking to score more.”

Asked to think back to Mason’s freshman season, when the guard from Petersburg, Va., started three games and played 35 while averaging 16.2 minutes per outing, Self remembered just one thing.

“We can look back and say, ‘Well, this was a turning point or that. Who knows,'” Self began. “But I do think that he should have played more as a freshman. I think his mindset coming in here was more to fit in and now it’s more to take what he thinks he deserves.”

Self honored

KU coach Bill Self was asked what it meant to be named by his peers as the Big 12 coach of the year this season. As usual, Self deflected the credit.

“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s nice. Certainly appreciate it. (But) if Frank Mason and Josh Jackson, Devonte’ Graham (aren’t) on your team, nobody is getting recognition for any coaching awards. So, I mean, it’s very nice, but I think I had an advantage by having those guys on my team.”

No. 1 seed looking good

Asked if he thought his team had the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed locked up, Self conceded part of that question.

“I don’t agree with the No. 1 overall, nor do I think that’s important,” Self said. “I do think you would be hard pressed to say we wouldn’t be a No. 1 seed. I guess anything can happen, and I’m not going to make any bold predictions, but I don’t know that that one would be too bold. I think we can be a 1 seed. Next step of course would hopefully be a 1 seed in the Midwest (in Kansas City, Mo.)…. If you look at it, not that I do, a lot of things could happen, but we could probably solidify that by playing well this weekend obviously.”

Jayhawks still on top

For the second week in a row, after sweeping two games against teams from the Sooner State, the Jayhawks landed in the top spot in the Associated Press poll and will take the No. 1 ranking into the postseason.

KU received 59 of 65 first-place votes and was followed by Villanova, UCLA, Gonzaga and Oregon in the Top 5.