Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Awards: Top Ten Mountain West Finalists
Two Mountain West stars make the cut for college basketball’s best awards at their positions.
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Derrick Alston Jr. makes the top ten for Julius Erving Award and Malachi Flynn for Bob Cousy Award.
On February 4th the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced their top ten finalists for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. The Mountain West had one player make the cut for each list as San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn is a top-10 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and Boise State’s Derrick Alston Jr. is a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Award.
Both players have been key to their team’s individual successes this season and join some of college basketball’s heavy hitters in the top ten. Malachi Flynn joins the list as one of only two players from a non-group of five team with Marquette guard Markus Howard also on the list. Flynn has been an instant impact player for San Diego State this year and is a big reason the Aztecs currently have an undefeated season, top-5 ranking and the potential for a number one seed in the big dance.
Last year’s winner, another mid-major product Ja Morant was an absolute force in college basketball last year but played for Murray State which wasn’t as well rounded as a team compared to the Aztecs and didn’t have as high of a profile as them either, San Diego State being undefeated at 25-0 and all. Flynn’s numbers aren’t as jaw dropping as Morant’s are either, when put side by side but as previously mentioned their individual situations are completely different.
Derrick Alston Jr. has led his Boise State Broncos to their current third place standing in the Mountain West with a team leading 18.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG. He was also leading the conference in scoring until a certain Wolf Pack member’s recent scoring outburst and has kept Boise State afloat as they’ve waited for mid season transfers to become eligible and others that have found more consistency in mid-February.
Last year’s Julius Erving Award winner was Rui Hachimura, whose situation may closely resemble more Malachi Flynn than Alston Jr. Hachimura’s numbers weren’t eye popping like Morant’s either, but not too many player’s were because he was Ja Morant. But he played on a dominant mid-major (yes I’ve heard the argument) powerhouse in Gonzaga (33-4, 16-0 1st in WCC & #1 seed in NCAA Tournament’s West Region) that sounds a lot like this year’s Aztec team. Hachimura was a solid leader for an uber competitive Bulldogs team. Alston Jr. has been consistent and scored in bunches and his case for further recognition will be based on his performance going forward.
Next, the Bob Cousy Award ten finalists
The Bob Cousy Award (Best Point Guard in the country)
Bob Cousy, Holy Cross (1946-1950)
College Stats: 15.2 PPG in 117 career games
College Highlights:
- The Sporting News First Team All-America (1950)
- The Sporting News Second Team All-America (1949)
- NCAA championship (1947)
- Two-time All-Conference and All-New England (1949, 1950)
- Team MVP and leading scorer (1949, 1950)
2019’s winner: Ja Morant, Murray State (OVC)
Season Highlights:
- Consensus All-American (1st team)
- All-OVC
- OVC Tourney MVP
- OVC POY
- All-OVC Tourney
2018-2019 stats: 24.5 PPG 5.7 RPG 10.0 APG & 1.8 SPG in 33 games (all starts)
2020 Top Ten Finalists:
Jared Butler, Baylor (Big 12)
2019-2020 Stats: 15.0 PPG 2.6 RPG 3.0 APG & 1.5 SPG in 23 games played (23 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.3
Mckinley Wright IV, Colorado (PAC-12)
2019-2020 Stats: 13.8 PPG 5.2 RPG 5.2 APG & 1.1 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.8
Tre Jones, Duke (ACC)
2019-2020 Stats: 15.6 PPG 3.9 RPG 6.6 APG & 2.0 SPG in 22 games played (22 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.8
Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (Big 12)
2019-2020 Stats: 15.2 PPG 5.9 RPG 6.5 APG & 2.5 SPG in 22 games played (22 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.9
Devon Dotson, Kansas (Big 12)
2019-2020 Stats: 17.9 PPG 4.0 RPG 4.3 APG & 2.2 SPG in 23 games played (23 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.8
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky (SEC)
2019-2020 Stats: 12.3 PPG 4.2 RPG 6.8 APG & 2.0 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.2
Markus Howard, Marquette (Big East)
2019-2020 Stats: 27.3 PPG 3.3 RPG 3.1 APG & 1.0 SPG in 23 games played (23 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.5
Cassisus Winston, Michigan State (Big Ten)
2019-2020 Stats: 18.3 PPG 2.4 RPG 5.7 APG & 1.3 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.8
Payton Pritchard, Oregon (PAC-12)
2019-2020 Stats: 19.5 PPG 4.3 RPG 6.0 APG & 1.6 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.8
Malachi Flynn, San Diego State (MWC)
2019-2020 Stats: 16.4 PPG 4.1 RPG 5.0 APG & 1.8 SPG in 25 games played (25 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 5.8 (highest among finalists)
Next, the Julius Erving Award ten finalists
The Julius Erving Award (Best Small Forward in the country)
Julius Erving, Massachusetts (1969-1971)
College Stats: 26.3 PPG 20.2 RPG 3.6 APG
College Highlights:
- Recorded 51 double-doubles in 52 career contests
- Left school as all-time leader in points and rebounds (26.3 ppg / 20.2 rpg)
- Had two games with 30 or more rebounds
- Led UMass to two Yankee Conference titles and the school’s first two NIT appearances
- Inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980
2019’s winner: Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (WCC)
Season Highlights:
- WCC POY
- Consensus All-American (1st team)
- All-WCC
2018-2019 stats: 19.7 PPG 6.5 RPG 1.5 APG & 0.9 SPG in 37 games played (all starts)
2020 Top Ten Finalists:
Derrick Alston Jr., Boise State (MWC)
2019-2020 Stats: 18.4 PPG 5.2 RPG 3.1 APG & 0.5 SPG in 26 games played (26 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.2
Devin Vassell, Florida State (ACC)
2019-2020 Stats: 13.4 PPG 5.3 RPG 1.7 APG & 1.5 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.1
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (WCC)
2019-2020 Stats: 13.8 PPG 3.8 RPG 2.2 APG & 0.9 SPG in 26 games played (26 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.1
Jordan Nwora, Louisville (ACC)
2019-2020 Stats: 18.8 PPG 7.2 RPG 1.3 APG & 0.8 SPG in 25 games played (25 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.6 (highest among finalists)
Precious Achiuwa, Memphis (AAC)
2019-2020 Stats: 14.7 PPG 9.8 RPG 1.1 SPG & 1.9 BPG in 23 games played (23 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.0
Tres Tinkle, Oregon State (PAC-12)
2019-2020 Stats: 19.0 PPG 6.8 RPG 3.7 APG & 2.0 SPG in 23 games played (23 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 4.2
Elijah Hughes, Syracuse (ACC)
2019-2020 Stats: 18.6 PPG 5.0 RPG 3.8 APG & 1.2 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.7
Anthony Lamb, Vermont (AEC)
2019-2020 Stats: 16.6 PPG 7.3 RPG 2.4 APG & 1.3 BPG in 26 games played (26 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.9
Saddiq Bey, Villanova (Big East)
2019-2020 Stats: 15.7 PPG 5.0 RPG 2.3 APG & 0.7 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.8
Naji Marshall, Xavier (Big East)
2019-2020 Stats: 16.2 PPG 5.9 RPG 3.7 APG & 1.3 SPG in 24 games played (24 starts)
Win Shares in 2019-2020: 3.0
*A link to sports-reference.com’s breakdown of how they calculate win shares.
You can make your vote for the awards and players above as well as other awards like the Jerry West, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar awards now on their website here. There will be top five finalists lists released in March and the winners of the awards will be presented at the College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on April 10th.
