Purdue's junior guard Carsen Edwards is a strong candidate on the watch list.
Springfield, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its sixteenth year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
“For more than fifteen years, the Cousy Award has recognized the top collegiate point guard annually, forming a fraternity of honorees who have gone on to have tremendous success in the game,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “They exhibit many of the characteristics that made Bob Cousy a tremendous player and floor general and we are excited to watch the men on this watch list as the season progresses.”
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Bob Cousy played for Holy Cross from 1946-1950 winning an NCAA Championship in 1947. He was named a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1950. His success continued at the professional level as a six-time NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1963), NBA Most Valuable Player (1957) and 13-time NBA All-Star (1951-63). In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and receiving support from Eaton Ephesus Lighting include the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.
MORE: Jerry West Award preseason watch list | Julius Erving Award preseason watch list
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Frank Mason III, Kansas (2017), Tyler Ulis, Kentucky (2016), Delon Wright, Utah (2015), Shabazz Napier, Connecticut (2014), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), Greivis Vasquez, Maryland (2010), TyLawson, North Carolina (2009), DJ Augustin, Texas (2008), Acie Law, Texas A & M (2007), Dee Brown, Illinois (2006), Raymond Felton, North Carolina (2005) and Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s (2004).
2019 candidates named to the watch list:
| Player | School |
|---|---|
| Jared Harper | Auburn |
| Ky Bowman | Boston College |
| Tre Jones | Duke |
| Josh Perkins | Gonzaga |
| Devon Dotson | Kansas |
| Tremont Waters | LSU |
| Jon Elmore | Mashall |
| Markus Howard | Marquette |
| Cassius Winston | Michigan State |
| Cody Martin | Nevada |
| Ahmad Caver | Old Dominion |
| Payton Pritchard | Oregon |
| Carsen Edwards | Purdue |
| Shamorie Ponds | St. John's |
| Alex Robinson | TCU |
| Jordan Bone | Tennessee |
| Jaylen Hands | UCLA |
| Jahvon Quinerly | Villanova |
| Ty Jerome | Virginia |
| Justin Robinson | Virginia Tech |
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