Cousy Award Watch List Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Green Bay’s Keifer Sykes and Youngstown State’s Kendrick Perry were among the candidates named for the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in men’s college basketball. Over 40 candidates have been nominated for the 2014 Bob Cousy Award.
Both Perry and Sykes have earned the nomination for the second straight year. Last season, Detroit guard Ray McCallum was among the final 20 candidates for the award.
Perry, the 2013-14 Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, is a two-time All-Horizon League First-Team selection and was named to the watch list last season. Perry averaged 17.3 points per game last season and led the Penguins to their most wins since 2001 with 18.
In 2012-13, Perry, who has 1,309 career points and 365 career assists, was named to the NABC All-District First-Team and averaged 4.1 assists per game.
Sykes was a NABC All-District Second Team pick as a sophomore, a year in which he was voted First Team All-Horizon League. With 539 points, the 5-11 guard set a Green Bay sophomore record for scoring.
Averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 assists per game, Sykes led Green Bay to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament for the first time in head coach Brian Wardle’s tenure.
“The Hall of Fame is proud to work with Mr. Cousy and honor the best point guards playing in college basketball right now,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall ofFame. “This list represents some of the top student athletes from across the country. We are truly honored to be a part of this award.”
“The Bob Cousy Award promotes the values of leadership, determination, and teamwork, all skills needed not only on the hardwood but also in life,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
“Mr. Cousy exemplified all of these traits, and continues to be an inspiration to basketball players on and off the court.”
This watch list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 in early February, then final five by early March. A premier Selection Committee has been appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. This committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including members of the media, head coaches, media relations contacts and Hall of Famers. The Cousy Award winner will be presented the award on Championship Monday in Dallas at the Hall of Fame's Class of 2014 Announcement and Press Conference.
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), Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Kendall Marshall (North Carolina) and last year’s recipient Trey Burke (Michigan).
For more information on the 2014 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.
2014 Bob Cousy Award Watch List
Trevor Releford, University of Alabama
TJ McConnell, University of Arizona
Jahii Carson, Arizona State University
Derrick Marks, Boise State University
Walt Lemon, Jr., Bradley University
Justin Cobbs, University of California
Kyle Anderson, UCLA
Billy Baron, Canisius College
Spencer Dinwiddie, University of Colorado
Shabazz Napier, University of Connecticut
Quinn Cook, Duke University
Brett Comer, Florida Gulf Coast University
Kasey Hill, University of Florida
Devon Bookert, Florida State University
Markel Starks, Georgetown University
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga University
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay
Siyani Chambers, Harvard University
Brandyn Curry, Harvard University
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana University
Jake Odum, Indiana State University
DeAndre Kane, Iowa State University
Andrew Harrison, University of Kentucky
Elfrid Payton, Lafayette University
Jason Brickman, LIU - Brooklyn
Anthony Ireland, Loyola Marymount University
Chris Jones, University of Louisville
Chaz Williams, University of Massachusetts
Michael Dixon, University of Memphis
Joe Jackson, University of Memphis
Keith Appling, Michigan State University
Jordan Clarkson, University of Missouri
Kendall Williams, University of New Mexico
Marcus Paige, University of North Carolina
Eric Atkins, University of Notre Dame
Aaron Craft, Ohio State University
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State University
Dominic Artis, University of Oregon
Tim Frazier, Penn State University
Kris Dunn, Providence College
Tyler Ennis, Syracuse University
Preston Medlin, Utah State University
Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova University
Nigel Williams-Goss, University of Washington
Semaj Christon, Xavier University
Kendrick Perry, Youngstown St. University
