By Danielle Daniels
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Texas A&M junior guard Wade Taylor IV was one of 20 players named to the watch list for the 2024 Bob Cousy Award, which is given annually to the top point guard in Division I men’s college basketball. Administered by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the award is named for Class of 1971 inductee and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy.
“The point guards that have been named to the 2024 Bob Cousy Award Watch List truly embody the skills and characteristics that made Bob Cousy the ‘Houdini of the Hardwood,'” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “We look forward to watching their leadership and playmaking abilities take center stage and working alongside Bob Cousy and the selection committee to narrow down the watch list throughout the season.”
Recently tabbed as the preseason SEC Player of the Year, Taylor is seeking to join 2007 Cousy Award winner Acie Law IV as Texas A&M recipients of the prestigious honor. He is also mentioned on preseason All-America teams from Dick Vitale of ESPN, CBSsports.com, Foxsports.com and Jon Rothstein of CollegeHoops.com.
Taylor, from Dallas is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in 2022-23 that saw him earn first-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press and by vote of the league coaches. He was also a third-team All-American by Stadium.com’s basketball insider, Jeff Goodman.
Last season, Taylor was one of just three NCAA DI players with 500+ points, 125+ assists and 50+ steals while making 85% or better on free throw attempts. He averaged 16.5 points, which ranked No. 3 in the SEC for the full season, while leading the SEC in free throws made with 168 and free throw percentage with an 87.5% success rate at the line. Additionally, Taylor ranked fourth in assists (136) and fifth in steals (60). He scored a career-high 28 points in the Aggies’ 67-61 win over No. 2 Alabama (March 4, 2023) and had 12 games with 20-or-more points.
2024 Bob Cousy Award Candidates*
Max Abmas, Texas
Steven Ashworth, Creighton
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Boo Buie, Northwestern
Isaiah Collier, USC
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Judah Mintz Syracuse
Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
Tristen Newton, UConn
Nijel Pack, Miami (Fla.)
Tyrese Proctor, Duke
Jahvon Quinerly, Memphis
Jamal Shead, Houston
Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
DJ Wagner, Kentucky
Jahmir Young, Maryland
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2023-24 season.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, October 27. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just 5. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2024 Bob Cousy Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.
For more information on the 2024 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #CousyAward on Twitter and Instagram.
About Bob Cousy:
Cousy played for Holy Cross from 1946-50, winning an NCAA championship in 1947, and was named a consensus First-Team All-American in 1950. His success continued at the professional level as a six-time NBA Champion (1957, ’59-63), NBA Most Valuable Player (1957) and 13-time NBA All-Star (1951-63). He was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and was listed as one of the league’s 75 greatest players in 2021.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo “Court of Dreams.” Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
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