Ja Morant Named To Cousy Award Top-10 Watch List

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has selected Murray State's Ja Morant for its top-10 candidates for the 2019 Bob Cousy Award. This honor recognizes the top point guard in men's college basketball.

Morant, a sophomore from Dalzell, South Carolina, has been spectacular this season and enters the week ranked first in NCAA D-I with 10.3 assists per game and eighth with 24.1 points per game. In records that date to the first season that recognized the assist as an official stat, Morant is in line to become the first player to average 20 points and 10 assists per game. He also leads the nation in total assists with 216.

Morant has also produced many impressive single game performances this season, including his second career triple-double (the 18^th in Ohio Valley Conference history) against Missouri State (Nov. 24) when he posted 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Morant is fifth in the nation with 14 double-doubles this season. He has also had other big games this season including: at Alabama (Nov. 26) with 38 points and nine rebounds; at Southern Illinois (Dec. 12) with 23 points and 13 assists; home against Evansville (Dec. 18) with 27 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists; at Auburn (Dec. 23) with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists; at SIUE (Jan. 19) with 40 points and an Ohio Valley Conference record 21-of-21 from the free throw line.

He's a big reason why the Racers are 17-4 and have a share of OVC first place at 8-2 with Austin Peay, Belmont and Jacksonville State.

Former Racers Isaiah Canaan (2012) and Cameron Payne (2015) were also named to the Cousy Award watch list.

Morant is honored to be on the Cousy top-10 along with: Jordan Bone (Tennessee), Ky Bowman (Boston College), Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Markus Howard (Marquette), Ty Jerome (Virginia), Cody Martin (Nevada), Justin Robinson (Virginia Tech), Josh Perkins (Gonzaga), Tremont Waters (LSU) and Cassius Winston (Michigan State).

The list will be narrowed to five finalists in March. The winner will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 12th.

The Bob Cousy Award is given in honor of the great player who revolutionized the point guard position when he played in the NBA from 1950-63 for the Boston Celtics. Nicknamed the "Houdini of the Hardwood" by sports writers, Cousy is considered by many as the best playmaker ever. He was named to the NBA's 25th and 35th and 50th Anniversary All-Time teams in 1970, 1980 and 1996. Cousy led Holy Cross to three NCAA tournaments and the 1947 title.

Murray State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Isaiah Canaan

Ja Morant

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