Iowa’s Bohannon named candidate for Bob Cousy Award

SPRINGFIELD, MA – University of Iowa sophomore Jordan Bohannon has been named to the 20-player watch list for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The announcement was made Monday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 15th 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.

“These 20 student-athletes truly represent the best in the college game today and we are eager to see what they will achieve in the 2017-18 season,” 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 pleased to be recognizing them.”

Bohannon joins Minnesota’s Nate Mason and Bryant McIntosh of Northwestern as the only Big Ten student-athletes on the national list. 

Bohannon, one of five players named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, led the Hawkeyes in assists (175) and 3-pointers made (89), and was third in scoring (10.9 ppg). He was one of only two freshmen in the country over the last 25 seasons to register 175+ assists and 85+ 3-pointers. His 89 triples shattered Iowa’s single-season freshman record, besting Matt Gatens’ previous mark of 52 set in 2009. Bohannon’s 175 assists are the most by an Iowa freshman and rank eighth-best by any Hawkeye player in a single season. He finished the season by posting a school-record three straight double-doubles in points and assists (Indiana, South Dakota, and TCU). Bohannon helped lead Iowa to a win at nationally-ranked Maryland, draining eight 3-pointers (8-of-10) — the most by a Hawkeye rookie and one shy of Chris Kingsbury’s school record.

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 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team. 

By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 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 2018 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, April 6, 2018. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include 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), 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 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award log onto hoophallawards.com.

2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates

    *Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*