McCallum, Williams Named Cousy Award Candidates

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. --  The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts announced today the candidates for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award.  Detroit sophomore Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) and Milwaukee senior Kaylon Williams (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) were among the nearly 60 candidates nominated for the annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, which recognizes the top point guards in college basketball.

The Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, McCallum participated in the World University Games for USA Basketball this summer and has brought that success to Detroit, where he is among the Horizon League leaders in both points (14.8 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg).

Williams ranks 21^st in the nation in assists, handing out 6.0 per game to pace the Horizon League. The senior leads 9-3 Milwaukee in scoring with 12.2 points per game. Prior to the start of the season, Williams was voted a First Team All-Horizon League member.

This original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 by January 1, final 10 by February 1, and final five by March 1. A premier Selection Committee will be appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the final five candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. These Hall of Fame committees are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in New Orleans as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

2011 Horizon League Player of the Year Norris Cole was as finalist for the award last season, which was won by Connecticut’s Kemba Walker.  Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) and last year’s recipient Kemba Walker (Connecticut).

For more information on the 2012 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.

2012 Bob Cousy Award Candidates
Randy Davis, Ball State
Pierre Jackson, Baylor
Keegan Bell, Chattanooga
Andre Young, Clemson
Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Brian Barbour, Columbia
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
Chris Wroblewski, Cornell
Antoine Young, Creighton
JP Kuhlman, Davidson
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Seth Curry, Duke
TJ McConnell, Duquesne
Kenny Boynton, Florida
Irving Walker, Florida
James Fields, Georgia State
Brandyn Curry, Harvard
Scott Machado, Iona
Stephen Thomas, IUPUI
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas
Marquis Teague, Kentucky
Tyreek Duren, LaSalle
Mackey Mcknight, Lehigh
Casper Ware, Long Beach State
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Damier Pitts, Marshall
Will Barton, Memphis
Joe Jackson, Memphis
Tim Hardaway, Jr., Michigan
Kaylon Williams, Milwaukee
Dee Bost, Mississippi State
Mike Dixon, Missouri
Will Cherry, Montana
Kendall Williams, New Mexico
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
Stallon Saldivar, Northern Arizona
Reggie Hamilton, Oakland
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
D.J. Cooper, Ohio University
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
Tim Frazier, Penn State
Zack Rosen, Pennsylvania
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Lewis Jackson, Purdue
Bryan Dougher, Stony Brook University
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse
Brandon Triche, Syracuse
Wil Peters, Tennessee State
Myck Kabongo, Texas
Hank Thorns, TCU
Will Weathers, Troy
Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt
Maalik Wayns, Villanova
Erick Green, Virginia Tech
Abdul Gaddy, Washington
Tony Wroten, Washington
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
Tu Holloway, Xavier