Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame names 5 finalists for each of its 5 college basketball awards

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the five finalists for each of its four inaugural college basketball awards - the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award - as well as for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award (now in its twelfth year).

“For many years, the Basketball Hall of Fame has recognized the top collegiate point guards in the nation with the Bob Cousy Award. This season, we are excited to expand upon these awards by recognizing the top players at each position,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The finalists selected exhibit tremendous athleticism and remarkable drive. They are the best of the best and we are pleased to be recognizing them for their efforts.”

A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel narrowed the original player watch lists down to the final five candidates in each position.

The winners of the Basketball Hall of Fame college basketball awards will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Hall of Fame’s selection committees. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 9-18. The winners of the inaugural awards will be awarded at ESPN’s new College Basketball Awards at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, on Friday, April 10, 2015.

“It was an exceptional challenge to narrow down the watch list of elite point guards to only five. When selecting our five finalists, we have to look at the complete picture including athleticism, leadership, and character, among other things,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “The final five candidates are very deserving of this distinction and we wish them well as they head into the postseason.”

The finalists for all five categories are:

2015 Bob Cousy Award Finalists

T.J. McConnell, University of Arizona
Tyus Jones, Duke University
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga University
Delon Wright, University of Utah
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State University

2015 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Finalists

Tyler Haws, Brigham Young University
Jerian Grant, University of Notre Dame
D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State University
Buddy Hield, University of Oklahoma
Ron Baker, Wichita State University

2015 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Finalists

Stanley Johnson, University of Arizona
Justise Winslow, Duke University
LaDontae Henton, Providence College
Justin Anderson, University of Virginia
Sam Dekker, University of Wisconsin

2015 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Finalists

Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga University
David Laury, Iona College
Georges Niang, Iowa State University
Perry Ellis, University of Kansas
Montrezl Harrell, University of Louisville

2015 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalists

Bobby Portis, University of Arkansas
Jahlil Okafor, Duke University
Willie Cauley-Stein, University of Kentucky
Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse University
Frank Kaminsky, University of Wisconsin

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services