| Devin Gibson |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ? Sophomore guard Devin Gibson has been named a preseason nominee for the Bob Cousy Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced over the weekend.
Gibson joined Kenny Dawkins of Lamar as one of two players from the Southland Conference named to the 31-member preseason nominee list. Others include Josh Akognon (Cal State Fullerton), Malik Boothe (St. John’s), Sherron Collins (Kansas), Darren Collison (UCLA), Louis Dale (Cornell), Levance Fields (Pittsburgh), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Jeremy Goode (Mount St. Mary’s), Jay Greene (Maryland-Baltimore County), Trevon Hughes (Wisconsin), Aaron Jackson (Duquesne), Mitch Johnson (Stanford), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), David Marek (Southern Utah), Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth), Jack McClinton (Miami), Ronald Moore (Siena), Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga), Tajuan Porter (Oregon), Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), Gerald Robinson (Tennessee State), Edgar Sosa (Louisville), Ronald Steele (Alabama), Anthony Thomas (Boise State), Mike Trimboli (Vermont), Deonta Vaughn (Cincinnati), Chris Warren (Mississippi), Tony White (College of Charleston) and Josh Wilson (Northern Arizona). D.J. Augustin of Texas won last season’s award.
Gibson, an SLC Preseason First Team honoree and CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major All-American, scored 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting ? including 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line and 6-of-8 from the free throw line ? and added a game-high six steals and four rebounds to lead UTSA to a 78-64 victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor in the team’s only exhibition game on Nov. 6.
Last season, the Houston native earned SLC Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference honors after averaging 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and an NCAA-best 3.3 steals per game last season in helping UTSA to a 13-17 overall record and third-place finish in the SLC West with a 7-9 mark. Gibson led the Roadrunners in scoring 16 times and topped 20 points in eight games, including a season-high 27 in the 103-96 overtime victory at Texas State on Feb. 23 and in the SLC Tournament first-round loss to Stephen F. Austin on March 13. The SLC Player of the Week on Feb. 25, he posted three double-doubles during the year and was named a Freshman Mid-Major All-American by CollegeHoops.net and CollegeInsider.com.
The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford is given to the top collegiate male basketball point guard annually spanning across all divisions within the game by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The selection criteria emphasize leadership, team work, success, and fundamentals as being critical parts for the game of basketball as a point guard. Nominations are solicited from across the country from head coaches and the winner is selected by a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee made up of the biggest names in college basketball.