Baylor MBB’s Akinjo Named to Cousy Award Top 10

[Roberts, Matt]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Jan. 31, 2022
Baylor MBB’s Akinjo Named to Cousy Award Top 10
Senior one of 10 up for point guard of the year
For more information contact: Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu>
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<http://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.
www.BaylorBears.com<http://www.baylorbears.com/>
2022 COUSY AWARD WATCH LIST
Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
Wendell Green Jr. – Auburn
James Akinjo – Baylor
Isaiah Stevens – Colorado State
Andrew Nembhard – Gonzaga
Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky
Will Richardson – Oregon
Kennedy Chandler – Tennessee
Tyger Campbell – UCLA
Collin Gzillespie – Villanova

BAYLOR MBB 2021-22 SEASON HONORS
James Akinjo
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 10
Midseason All-America First Team (Sporting News)
Wooden Award Midseason Top 25
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis MVP
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 10)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
Preseason All-America Honorable Mention (The Athletic)
Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

Kendall Brown
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 20)
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team
Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year

Adam Flagler
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 10)
Preseason All-America Honorable Mention (The Athletic)
Lute Olson Award Watch List

Matthew Mayer
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List


Matt Roberts | Associate Director of Athletic Communications (MGOLF/ WGOLF)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-4206 | C: 254-709-2348

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