James Akinjo Named to Cousy Award Top 10
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Baylor men’s basketball senior guard James Akinjo has been selected as one of the top 10 candidates for the 2022 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, as announced Monday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Oakland, Calif., native leads the Big 12 in assists (5.7/game), ranks 2nd in steals (2.2/game) and 11th in scoring (12.9/game). He also ranks 17th nationally in assists (5.6/game) and 16th nationally in steals (2.17/game).
Akinjo is the lone Big 12 representative on the watch list. He’s joined by Alabama’s Jahvon Quinerly, Auburn’s Wendell Green Jr., Colorado State’s Isaiah Stevens, Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard, Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler, Oregon’s Will Richardson, Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler, UCLA’s Tyger Campbell and Villanova’s Collin Gillespie.
Akinjo was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 3 after averaging 21.5 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals in wins at No. 10 Iowa State and against Northwestern State. He followed that up by winning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 10, with 23.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in a pair of Baylor wins over Oklahoma and TCU.
The transfer from Arizona has posted 5+ assists in 14 of his 19 games played and recorded at least 1 steal in 18 of his 19 games at Baylor. He was also named to the Sporting News Midseason All-America First Team.
Named for Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award is now in its 19th year recognizing the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10. In late February, the watch list of 10 players for the award will be narrowed to five. In March, those finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (2021), Payton Pritchard, Oregon (2020), Ja Morant, Murray State (2019), 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).
For more information on the 2022 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #CousyAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, February 4.
Baylor returns to action on Monday at 8 p.m. CT when it hosts West Virginia at the Ferrell Center for the 95th-anniversary Immortal Ten Game. Jon Sciambi, Fran Fraschilla and Kris Budden will be on the call for ESPN. The Bears will finish the week with a top-10 matchup at No. 10 Kansas at 3 p.m. CT Saturday at Phog Allen Field House.
Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.