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Naismith Hall of Fame announces 20 watch list finalists for Bob Cousy Award

Duke University's Quinn Cook reacts after hitting a three-point shot against Clemson Univeristy during the second half of their NCAA basketball game in Durham

Duke University’s Quinn Cook reacts after hitting a three-point shot against Clemson Univeristy during the second half of their NCAA basketball game in Durham, North Carolina January 8, 2013. REUTERS/Ellen Ozier (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL EDUCATION)

REUTERS

A list that began with 80 players has been trimmed down to 20, as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Thursday its finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the nation’s best point guard.

Of the 20 finalists two are freshmen, Arizona State’s Jahii Carson and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart, and 12 different conferences are represented on the list.

The 20 candidates are:

Jahii Carson (Arizona State)
Pierre Jackson (Baylor)
Quinn Cook (Duke)
Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga)
Keith Appling (Michigan State)
Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)
Kendall Williams (New Mexico)
Lorenzo Brown (NC State)
Aaron Craft (Ohio State)
D.J. Cooper (Ohio)
Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)
Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse)
Mark Lyons (Arizona)
Ray McCallum (Detroit)
Peyton Siva (Louisville)
Trey Burke (Michigan)
Andre Hollins (Minnesota)
Phil Pressey (Missouri)
Erick Green (Virginia Tech)

The Big Ten leads the way with four finalists with the ACC boasting three and the Big 12, Big East and Pac-12 having two apiece. In regards to states, schools in Arizona (Carson and Lyons), Michigan (Appling and Burke) and North Carolina (Cook and Brown) can claim multiple candidates.

“All 20 of these young men represent strong values of skill, determination and teamwork, all characteristics that made Mr. Cousy the iconic leader he was,” said Bob Cousy Award chairman Ken Kaufman in the release.

“These young men are certainly deserving of this acknowledgement. We look forward to continuing the selection process, and seeing all of the players compete for this highly respected award.”

The next cut will come in early February, when the list is trimmed down to ten. Five finalists will be selected in early March, with the award to be given during Final Four weekend in Atlanta. North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall won the Cousy Award last season.

Raphielle also writes for the NBE Basketball Report and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.