LAWRENCE — Bill Self has known that Wichita guard Conner Frankamp would be joining the Kansas basketball program for the better part of 16 months.

Frankamp, the 31st-ranked player in the country, according to Rivals.com, committed to KU in July of last year, just a few months after he finished his sophomore season at Wichita North.

So it was no great surprise on Wednesday, when Frankamp made it official by signing his national letter of intent with Kansas. But it did finally give Self an opportunity to reveal why the KU staff had put so much time and effort into securing Frankamp’s future in Lawrence.

“I think Conner is one of the best guards we have recruited since we’ve been here,” Self said. “He can score. He’s sneaky athletic and can play the one and the two and will be a great combo guard in our system.”

Frankamp, a 6-0, 160-pound guard, averaged 32.3 points per game last season while leading Wichita North to the Kansas state quarterfinals. Frankamp, who has scored 1,639 career points, is 538 points away from passing Perry Ellis as the all-time leading scorer in the Wichita City League.

Frankamp also averaged 14.1 points per game last summer while helping the U17 USA Basketball team to the gold medal at the FIBA World Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania.

“With USA basketball he did everything,” Self said. “He played on the ball, off the ball and he was the leading scorer on the under 17 team that won the gold medal this past summer. He’s a good scorer. Other players enjoy playing with him and I absolutely love watching him play.”

Frank Mason, a point guard from Massanutten Military Academy (Va.), also signed his national letter of intent, according to rivals.com. Kansas didn’t officially announce Mason’s signing as of Wednesday evening.

Three more players are expected to sign with KU later this week, adding to a class that Rivals ranked as the second best in the country behind Kentucky. The other commitments: Brannen Greene, a small forward from Tifton, Ga.; Wayne Selden, a shooting guard from the Tilton School (N.H.); and Joel Embiid, a 7-foot center from The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla.