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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 22, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h1 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">Baylor MBB’s Butler Named Cousy Award Finalist<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal">Junior guard is one of five candidates for Point Guard of the Year Award</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">David Kaye, 254-709-5147,
</span><a href="mailto:David_Kaye@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">David_Kaye@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Baylor junior guard Jared Butler has been selected as one of five finalists for the 2021 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, as announced Monday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The annual honor, named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, is now in its 18<sup>th</sup> season recognizing the top point guards in Division I college basketball.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The five finalists for the 2021 Bob Cousy Award are Butler, Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu, Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham and Villanova’s Collin Gillespie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Butler has led the Bears to a 5-0 record over the last two seasons against the teams of the other four finalists. Baylor defeated Villanova in the 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational,
knocked off Illinois in the 2020 Jimmy V Classic and has gone 3-0 in Big 12 Conference play against Oklahoma State.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">A National Player of the Year candidate, Butler is also on the Wooden Award Late Season 20, the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year
Watch List and the Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List. He was tabbed as National Player of the Week by the NCAA, USBWA and Naismith Trophy on Jan. 25-26 after posting 30 points and eight assists in a win over then-No. 9 Kansas, followed by 22 points and
six assists in a win at Oklahoma State.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">A Reserve, La., native, Butler leads the Big 12 Conference in steals (2.4/game), 3-point percentage (.446) and 3-pointers made (2.7). He ranks second in the league in
scoring (17.0 ppg) and assists (5.2/game), fourth in field goal percentage (.493) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.89), while helping lead Baylor to a 17-0 record and No. 2 national ranking.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Butler ranks 11<sup>th</sup> nationally in 3-point percentage (.446), 12<sup>th</sup> in steals per game (2.41) and 43<sup>rd</sup> in assists per game (5.2). He also
ranks No. 4 nationally in KenPom’s Player of the Year Standings. His 13 assists in a win at Kansas State on Dec. 19 are the nation’s fourth-most in a game this season and the most by a high-major conference player.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Butler also has posted 20-point games on the road against eight of nine Big 12 opponents over the last two seasons. This season, he’s recorded 20-point games at Iowa
State (21), at TCU (28), at Oklahoma State (22) and at Texas (21). Last season, Butler posted 20-point games on the road at Kansas (22), at Kansas State (20), at Oklahoma (22) and at West Virginia (21).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Butler aims to become the second player in program history to win a national individual award, following Johnathan Motley’s 2017 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year
honor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The Bears have three remaining regular-season games scheduled, with the first two at home against Iowa State (Tuesday) and West Virginia (Thursday) followed by a third
on the road at Kansas (Saturday). The Big 12 Conference is working with teams to reschedule additional games which have been postponed during the week of March 1-7.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">2021 BOB COUSY AWARD FINALISTS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jared Butler, Baylor<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Collin Gillespie, Villanova<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">2020-21 BAYLOR MBB HONORS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jared Butler<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Cousy Award Finalist (1 of 5)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Trophy Midseason Team (1 of 30)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 15)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">NCAA National Player of the Week (Jan. 25)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (Jan. 25)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 25)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Preseason All-America Team (Associated Press)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Preseason All-Big 12 Team (unanimous)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 5 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 2 on The Athletic’s Top 20 Guards in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Scott Drew<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List (1 of 15)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Davion Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Trophy Midseason Team (1 of 30)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 15)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 1)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 67 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 10 on The Athletic’s Top 20 Guards in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">MaCio Teague<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jerry West Award Top 10<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 24 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 12 on The Athletic’s Top 20 Wings in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Mark Vital<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 15)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 71 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">www.BaylorBears.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">-- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#385623">David Kaye</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#385623">
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt">| Assistant AD for Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">C: 254-709-5147<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D70913.6B5748F0" alt="signature_1386895348"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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