Photo by: Creighton Athletics
Watson Named to Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List
10/17/2016 12:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Creighton floor leader is nation's active leader in assists
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – Creighton Basketball standout Maurice Watson Jr. is one of 20 players named by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the watch list for the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross.
Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 14th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
"As we begin into the 2016-17 basketball season, we're all excited to see how these outstanding point guards will lead their teams," 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 at Holy Cross and we are pleased to be recognizing them. We thank College of Holy Cross for their continued support of this esteemed award."
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.
Named a Preseason All-BIG EAST pick last week, Watson is the floor leader for a Creighton team that has been picked to finish third in the BIG EAST. The Philadelphia native led Creighton in both scoring (14.1 ppg.) and assists (6.5 apg.) last year for a 20-15 team that reached the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Watson's 229 assists last year were second-most in Creighton history and ranked ninth-most nationally a year ago. He leads the nation's active players with 639 career assists entering 2016-17.
Watson is one of three BIG EAST representatives on the Watch List, joining Villanova's Jalen Brunson and Xavier's Edmond Sumner.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2017 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 2017 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include 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), Ty Lawson, 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).
For more information on the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross, log onto www.CousyAward.com.
2017 Bob Cousy Award presented by College of the Holy Cross Candidates
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2016-17 season*
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
About College of the Holy Cross:
Located in Worcester, Mass., Holy Cross is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 2,900 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Since its founding in 1843, Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.
For more information:
Visit us online: www.hoophall.com and www.hoophallawards.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BHOF
… on Twitter/Instagram: @hoophall #CousyAward #CBBAwards
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA
Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 14th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
"As we begin into the 2016-17 basketball season, we're all excited to see how these outstanding point guards will lead their teams," 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 at Holy Cross and we are pleased to be recognizing them. We thank College of Holy Cross for their continued support of this esteemed award."
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.
Named a Preseason All-BIG EAST pick last week, Watson is the floor leader for a Creighton team that has been picked to finish third in the BIG EAST. The Philadelphia native led Creighton in both scoring (14.1 ppg.) and assists (6.5 apg.) last year for a 20-15 team that reached the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Watson's 229 assists last year were second-most in Creighton history and ranked ninth-most nationally a year ago. He leads the nation's active players with 639 career assists entering 2016-17.
Watson is one of three BIG EAST representatives on the Watch List, joining Villanova's Jalen Brunson and Xavier's Edmond Sumner.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2017 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 2017 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include 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), Ty Lawson, 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).
For more information on the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross, log onto www.CousyAward.com.
2017 Bob Cousy Award presented by College of the Holy Cross Candidates
| Jalen Adams | Connecticut |
| Maurice Watson Jr. | Creighton |
| Jack Gibbs | Davidson |
| Frank Jackson | Duke |
| Nigel Williams-Goss | Gonzaga |
| Monte Morris | Iowa State |
| Frank Mason | Kansas |
| De'Aaron Fox | Kentucky |
| Melo Trimble | Maryland |
| Joel Berry II | North Carolina |
| Dennis Smith | North Carolina State |
| Jawun Evans | Oklahoma State |
| Lonzo Ball | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Jordan McLaughlin | University of Southern California |
| Jalen Brunson | Villanova |
| London Perrantes | Virginia |
| Seth Allen | Virginia Tech |
| Markelle Fultz | Washington |
| Brunson Koenig | Wisconsin |
| Edmond Sumner | Xavier |
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
About College of the Holy Cross:
Located in Worcester, Mass., Holy Cross is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 2,900 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Since its founding in 1843, Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.
For more information:
Visit us online: www.hoophall.com and www.hoophallawards.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BHOF
… on Twitter/Instagram: @hoophall #CousyAward #CBBAwards
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA
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