SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – UConn senior guard Shabazz Napier (Roxbury, Mass.) has been named one of 23 watch list finalists for the 2014 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to honor the top point guard in college basketball.
Napier has also been named to the final watch lists for the John R. Wooden Award, the Senior CLASS Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the Naismith Award. The senior guard leads the 20-5 Huskies in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and minutes played. He was a unanimous choice to the American Athletic Conference Preseason First Team and has been named the AAC Player of the Week four times this season and to the league's weekly Honor Roll seven times. He is an All-American candidate and a candidate for AAC Player of the Year.
The Cousy Award, which UConn guard Kemba Walker won in 2011, had an original watch list of 80 players across the country. It was narrowed to 23 byh a nationally-based committee.
"The 23 athletes on this list represent the most committed, determined and skillful point guards in college basketball," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "We are honored to be recognizing their strengths and are excited to move forward in the selection process."
"The men on this list all have the athletic qualities of an exceptional true point guard in the game of college basketball, the same qualities that made Mr. Cousy an iconic player," said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). "All of these young men are on this list because they deserve to be competing for this well-respected award."
Beginning Tuesday (2/18) through March 10th, fans from around the country will have the chance to vote for the top point guard in college basketball – fan voting begins on www.cousyaward.com at 10 a.m. The current listing of 23 finalists for the 2014 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed down to five players by early March. The final five players in contention for the award will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Hall of Fame committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Hall of Famers and Sports Information Directors.
The winner of the 2014 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame's Class Announcement on Championship Monday in North Texas as part of NCAA Final Four weekend. In addition to UConn's Walker, previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Kendall Marshall (North Carolina) and last year's recipient, Trey Burke (Michigan).
For more information on the 2014 Bob Cousy Award, log onto www.CousyAward.com.
2014 Bob Cousy Award Candidates
Jahii Carson Arizona State University
Kevin Pangos Gonzaga University
Siyani Chambers Harvard University
Yogi Ferrell Indiana University
DeAndre Kane Iowa State University
Jason Brickman LIU Brooklyn
Keith Appling Michigan State University
Aaron Craft Ohio State University
Marcus Smart Oklahoma State University
Xavier Thames San Diego State University
Tyler Ennis Syracuse University
T.J. McConnell University of Arizona
Justin Cobbs University of California, Berkeley
Kyle Anderson University of California, Los Angeles
Shabazz Napier University of Connecticut
Scottie Wilbekin University of Florida
Chaz Williams University of Massachusetts
Kendall Williams University of New Mexico
Marcus Paige University of North Carolina
Eric Atkins University of Notre Dame
James Robinson University of Pittsburgh
Juwan Staten West Virginia University
Fred Van Vleet Wichita State University
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