SMU senior Nic Moore, a former standout at WCHS, is one of ten finalists for the 2016 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced.

Moore, the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year is also a candidate for the Wooden Award and Naismith Award.

This season, Moore has led No. 12 SMU to a 19-2 record. The Mustangs are 8-2 in The American Athletic Conference after a 71-68 conference loss at Houston Monday night. Moore had a team-high 16 points to go with three assists and three steals for the Mustangs Monday night.

SMU’s 18-0 start was the best in program history as the Mustangs were the last unbeaten team in Division I men’s basketball this season.

Moore leads SMU in scoring (15.7 points per game, 4^th AAC), assists (4.9, 1^st AAC) and steals (1.2, T-11^th AAC) while shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range (8^th AAC) and posting a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio (4^th AAC). He also leads SMU in 3-pointers per game (2.4, 4^th AAC) and free throw percentage (82.7 percent, 6^th AAC).

Last year, after leading the Mustangs to a 27-7 record and an AAC regular season and tournament title, Moore was named the AAC Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-AAC first team selection and earned District 25 first-team honors from the NABC. Moore was also selected Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention after recording team bests in scoring (14.5), assists (5.1) and steals (1.3) and leading the conference in free-throw percentage (.875) and three-point percentage (.416). SMU made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1993.

Moore led coach Doug Ogle’s Tigers to a Class 4-A state runner-up finish as a junior in 2010. He was an Indiana All-Star and runner-up for Mr. Basketball honors in 2011. He ranks second in WCHS career scoring history with 1,891 points.

“The athletes on this list represent the most dedicated and skillful point guards in college basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame.  “They exhibit many of the characteristics that made Mr. Cousy such a successful player and we are pleased to be recognizing them for their accomplishments. We thank College of the Holy Cross for their continued support of this esteemed award.”

Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its thirteenth year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball. Cousy played for Holy Cross from 1946-1950 winning an NCAA Championship in 1947. He was named a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1950. His success continued at the professional level as a six-time NBA Champion (1957, 1959-1963), NBA Most Valuable Player (1957) and 13-time NBA All-Star (1951-63). In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team.

In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the 2016 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.  The winner of the 2016 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 8, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include 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 2016 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award presented by College of the Holy Cross, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

2016 Bob Cousy Award presented by College of the Holy Cross Finalists

Kyle Collinsworth, Brigham Young University
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Monte Morris, Iowa State
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
Khalil Felder, Oakland
Gary Payton, Jr., Oregon State
Kris Dunn, Providence
Nic Moore, SMU