SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the candidates for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award. Iona College men’s basketball junior Scott Machado (Queens, NY) is in contention for the annual award, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, that recognizes college basketball’s top point guard. Total of 66 players have been nominated for the 2011 award. Nominations were solicited from all schools across the country.
Machado has been selected as a candidate for the second straight season. Through the first third of the 2010-11 season, Machado is averaging a career-high in virtually every statistical category. He is third on the team in points (13.5 ppg) and rebounds (4.8) and leads all NCAA Div. I players with an 8.5 assist per game average. With 93 assists in 11 games, Machado is poised to become the second player (Marvin McCullough ’06) to record 100 or more assists in each of his first three seasons at Iona. He is also on pace to become the first performer in school history to reach the 200-assist mark. Machado also leads the MAAC with 25 steals while recording a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Machado was selected to the 2010 Preseason All-MAAC First Team after completing his sophomore campaign on the All-MAAC Second Team. In 2009 as a rookie, he was recognized for his performance with the MAAC’s Rookie of the Year award.
Also representing the MAAC as a Cousy Award Nominee is the 2010 Rookie of the Year in Fairfield’s Derek Needham.
This original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 by Jan. 3, final ten by Feb. 3, and final five by Mar. 3. A Hall of Fame appointed screening committee will be narrowing down the candidates from 20 to 10 to 5 prior to a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee evaluating the final five candidates and ultimately choosing the winner. Both of the Hall of Fame committee’s are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2011 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Monday April 4th in Houston as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included: Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina) and Greivis Vasquez (Maryland). For more information on the 2011 Bob Cousy Award, log onto www.cousyaward.com.
PHOTO CREDIT: Warren Rosenberg – ICGaels.com
