SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Detroit junior Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) was named one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.McCallum was named among the 20 finalists for the second consecutive year; the award is annually presented to the nation’s top point guard.
“This list embodies 20 of the nations most elite and dominate point guards in college basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Hall of Fame is honored to celebrate these feats, as we move forward to the latter stages of the selection process.”
The Horizon League’s leading scorer at 18.9 points per game, McCallum also leads the conference with 4.9 assists per game. McCallum’s 121.6 offensive rating leads all Horizon League players used on at least 24 percent of their team’s possessions.
“All 20 of these young men represent strong values of skill, determination and teamwork, all characteristics that made Mr. Cousy the iconic leader he was,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “These young men are certainly deserving of this acknowledgement. We look forward to continuing the selection process, and seeing all of the players compete for this highly respected award.”
Currently 85th in League history with 1,284 career points, McCallum is 20th in Detroit history in the same category. The junior is ninth with 377 assists, while his 139 steals rank 11th. The last Titan to rank among the top-10 in all three of those categories was Rashad Phillips. Phillips finished his career in 2001 with 2,319 points (1st), 548 assists (4th) and 190 steals (2nd).
The 2012-13 Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, McCallum has eclipsed the 20-point mark on nine occasions this year, most recently with a 26-point effort on Jan. 5 versus Green Bay.
McCallum was a First Team All-Horizon League pick as a sophomore, leading Detroit to its first League championship since 1999, earning tournament MVP honors.
Four Horizon League players – McCallum, Loyola’s Cully Payne, Kendrick Perry of Youngstown State and Green Bay’s Keifer Sykes – were among the 80 initial candidates before the most recent cut.
The current listing of 20 finalists for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed down to 10 players in early February and then down 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, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2013 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in Atlanta as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.
2013 Bob Cousy Award Candidates
Jahii Carson, Arizona State University
Pierre Jackson, Baylor University
Quinn Cook, Duke University
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga University
Keith Appling, Michigan State University
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State University
Kendall Williams, New Mexico
Lorenzo Brown, North Carolina State University
Aaron Craft, Ohio State University
D.J. Cooper, Ohio University
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State University
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State University
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse University
Mark Lyons, University of Arizona
Ray McCallum, University of Detroit Mercy
Peyton Siva, University of Louisville
Trey Burke, University of Michigan
Andre Hollins, University of Minnesota
Phil Pressey, University of Missouri
Erick Green, Virginia Tech
Tags: Detroit Mercy - Men's Basketball
