Hoophall announces top-five finalists for Bob Cousy Award

Guard play is a large part of building a team that can be a contender, especially at the point guard spot. Now, as the regular season comes to a close, we know the five players who are officially finalists for The Bob Cousy Award this season.

Among this year’s finalists, only one was a finalist from a season ago when Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell took home the award. Meanwhile, two of the finalists weren’t even on the midseason list, which featured a group of 10, back in late January.

All five are point guards for Top-20 teams in the nation, including four who are currently in the Top-10 and three who are on the current top-three teams in the latest AP Poll.

Let’s take a deep dive into the five finalists from Hoophall that they announced earlier on Monday.

Mark Sears – Alabama Crimson Tide

Sears is in his second season in Tuscaloosa and has stepped forward as the Crimson Tide’s leader. He is currently tied for 14th in the nation in scoring at 20.7 points per game, which is also currently best in the Southeastern Conference, while shooting career-bests from the field (51%) and three (43.3% on 2.3 makes per game) and dishing a career-high of 4.2 assists.

Alabama is currently in last, record-wise, compared to the other four finalists on the list. However, they do boast the nation’s top offense and Sears’ impact on their success on that end will more than make his case for the Bob Cousy Award.

Jamal Shead – Houston Cougars

Shead has taken off in his senior season by embodying all that Houston is as a program and brand. In 29 starts, he has put up career-highs across the board in points (13.1), assists (6.1), rebounds (3.8), steals (2.3), and three-point percentage (32.7%). His 6.1 assists are tied for 12th nationally while he’s also Top-15 in the nation in steals.

With him impacting the game all over, the Cougars are 26-3 and are currently the top team in the nation.

Tyler Kolek – Marquette Golden Eagles

Kolek is the lone repeat finalist for the Cousy Award this season but is justifying it with a campaign that’s better than his was a year ago. In his third campaign with the Golden Eagles, he’s averaging career highs with 15 points, 7.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting 48.6% from the field and 40% from three.

His national-leading assist number is going to justify him as arguably the nation’s best point guard. However, he’ll have to overcome some late-season struggles as he will miss the final two regular season games for his team which is in the Top 10 with a record of 22-7.

Braden Smith – Purdue Boilermakers

For all the love that center Zach Edey gets for the Boilermakers, their backcourt, including Smith, deserves plenty of respect too. Smith gets most of that nod as one of the most impactful people in West Lafayette who’s not a 7’4 man in the middle that’s the reigning National Player of the Year.

In his sophomore season, Smith has improved his numbers to 13.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while shooting 47.3% overall and 44.1% from three. Those are all among the best, if not the best, on the No. 2 team, one that’s 26-3, besides Edey while the assists per game are also fifth-most in the country.

Tristen Newton – Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut has had its fair share of great guards, including two, Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, who have previously won the Bob Cousy Award. Now, in ’23-’24, Newton could join them as the third Husky to do so.

Newton, a graduate student in his second season with UConn, is putting up 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, six assists, and 1.1 steals as the team leader in the first three statistics. That has helped the No. 2 Huskies to a record of 26-3 with two games to go before he is the latest guard to lead the team into the postseason and on a title defense.

Fans can begin voting for any of these five players later this week. That leaves it up to those in Tuscaloosa, Houston, Milwaukee, West Lafayette, and Storrs along with the rest of the country to name the winner of this year’s recognition of the award.