SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Auburn junior Jared Harper has been selected to the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday.
Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 16th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball.
Harper is one of just 20 candidates on the preseason watch list, including one of only three from the Southeastern Conference, joining Tremont Waters of LSU and Jordan Bone of Tennessee.
The Mableton, Ga. native burst on to the scene last season after averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in 34 starts as the floor general.
Harper ranked third on the team with 27 games in double figures and knocked down the fourth-most free throws in single-season program history with 166.
He produced the most games of seven-plus assists by any player in the SEC with 15 such instances and the Tigers scored a total of 481 points off assists from Harper.
Harper's 185 dimes tied Gerald White (1984-85) for the fourth-most assists in a season by an Auburn player all-time.
He was named Second Team All-SEC by both the Associated Press and the league's coaches, as well as earning a spot on the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District IV team.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, April 12, 2019.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Frank Mason III, Kansas (2017), Tyler Ulis, Kentucky (2016), Delon Wright, Utah (2015), Shabazz Napier, Connecticut (2014), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), Greivis Vasquez, Maryland (2010), Ty Lawson, North Carolina (2009), DJ Augustin, Texas (2008), Acie Law, Texas A&M (2007), Dee Brown, Illinois (2006), Raymond Felton, North Carolina (2005) and Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's (2004).
Auburn tips off its season Nov. 6 vs. South Alabama at 8 p.m. CT on the SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network. For tickets, please visit AUBTIX.com or call the ticket office at (855) 282-2010.
2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List
Jared Harper, Auburn
Ky Bowman, Boston College
Tre Jones, Duke
Josh Perkins, Gonzaga
Devon Dotson, Kansas
Tremont Waters, LSU
Markus Howard, Marquette
Jon Elmore, Marshall
Cassius Winston, Michigan State
Cody Martin, Nevada
Ahmad Carver, Old Dominion
Payton Pritchard, Oregon
Carsen Edwards, Purdue
Shamorie Ponds, St. John's
Alex Robinson, TCU
Jordan Bone, Tennessee
Jaylen Hands, UCLA
Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova
Ty Jerome, Virginia
Justin Robinson, Virginia Tech
Candidates can play their way onto and off of the list at any point during the season.