Bob Cousy Award Finalist

College basketball season is full steam ahead toward March Madness. Today, we saw the release of multiple midseason awards and finalists. The one that needs the most attention is the Bob Cousy Award. This is given to the best point guard in the nation.

The point guard position is very unique, as traditionally it was the offensive general who set up his teammates. Modern point guards, though, have also become much more powerful scorers and rebounders. Still, when evaluating a point guard, ball control, setting up teammates, and offensive efficiency are the biggest measuring points. Let’s first start with the list:

Right away, what a list of names…schools fighting for or in great position to make the NCAA tournament. But let’s take a deeper look. One player on this list…only ONE…is the nation’s leader in assists, second in assist-to-turnover ratio, 11th in total double-doubles, and is averaging double-digit assists and points on the season.

That person is Ryan Nembhard.

Even this past weekend, against a top-10 defense in the country on the road, he managed 11 points on only 7 shots, with 12 assists and 3 steals. No one else on this list is even in the top 25 in 3 categories. Braden Smith may be the only real competition, as he is in the top 15 in two stats. These are all available on NCAA stats.

Oh, also, let’s not forget to mention that Gonzaga’s total offensive efficiency is ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

Barring any major drop-offs from Nembhard, this award could be a total runaway. Of course, the names of the other schools may affect voters, but the stats are clear and easily found at the link above. Ryan Nembhard is statistically having one of the best seasons we have seen at the point guard position this century. I’ll leave you with this beautiful highlight from his 16-point and 15-assist performance this season.