Graham named Bob Cousy Award candidate
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Kansas senior Devonte’ Graham has been named one of 10 candidates for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday. Graham is vying to become the second-straight Jayhawk to win the honor as Frank Mason III was the 2017 recipient.
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 in October, which has now been narrowed to 10.
Graham is the only player in NCAA Division I averaging 17.0-plus points, 7.0-plus assists, 1.8-plus steals and fewer than 3.0 turnovers per game. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native is fifth nationally in assists per game at 7.5 and he leads the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.8. Graham is scoring 18.7 points per game in Big 12 play and averaging 17.2 points in all games, which is third in the Big 12. He is second in the conference in assists (7.5), fifth in free throw percentage (84.9), fifth in 3-point field goals made (2.9) and fourth in steals (1.9).
Graham recently became just the third player in school history to tally 1,400 points, 500 assists and 175 steals in a career. Darnell Valentine and Kirk Hinrich are the only other Jayhawks to hit those numbers. Graham is 25th on the Kansas career scoring list (1,471), 10th in assists (523) and 10th in steals (178). He is also on pace to became the No. 2 3-point shooter in school history. His 253 treys trail Billy Thomas (269 from 1995-98) by 16 for second on Kansas’ career 3-pointers list.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The winner will be honored at ESPN’s College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 6, 2018.
2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award Candidates
Tra Holder – Arizona State
Chris Chiozza – Florida
DEVONTE’ GRAHAM – KANSAS
Cassius Winston – Michigan State
Joel Berry II – North Carolina
Trae Young – Oklahoma
Keenan Evans – Texas Tech
Jordan McLaughlin – USC
Jalen Brunson – Villanova
Jevon Carter – West Virginia
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.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Mason (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 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, visit www.HoophallAwards.com.
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