Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Final 11 candidates for 2012 Bob Cousy Award

- February 2, 2012 -

Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield,
Massachusetts announced today the 11 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard
of the Year Award. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob
Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. An original list of 60-plus
candidates was trimmed by a Hall of Fame appointed, nationally-based committee to the below
list of 11 student-athletes.

“We are excited to announce this years final 11 candidates, as they all exemplify the skills and
talent necessary to make an elite point guard” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Hall of Fame looks forward to watching these
players compete for one of college basketball’s most prestigious awards.”

“The list is getting harder and harder to trim down” said Ken Kauffman, Chair of the 2012 Bob
Cousy Award. “We have so many elite college point guards that represent what Mr. Cousy
epitomized as a player.”

Beginning Wednesday, February 6th, via the Bob Cousy Award’s website –
www.cousyaward.com – fans will be able to vote for the top point guard. The player that
receives the most fan votes will receive one vote toward the final committee vote. Fan voting
will run one month – beginning February 6th and will conclude March 6th.
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s),
Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin
(Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) and last year’s recipient
Kemba Walker (Connecticut). For more information on the 2012 Bob Cousy, log onto
www.CousyAward.com.

The current listing of 11 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed down to 5
players on March 8th. The final five players in contention for the award will be presented to Mr.
Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Hall of Fame committee is made up of
top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information
Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be awarded at the
Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Monday April 2nd in New Orleans as part of NCAA
Final Four weekend.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men
and women.

2012 Bob Cousy Award 11 Finalists
Pierre Jackson, Baylor
Scott Machado, Iona
Casper Ware, Long Beach State
Phil Pressey, Missouri
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary’s
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse
Damian Lillard, Weber State
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic All-Tournament Team

As compiled by MassLive.com

All Tourney Players:
National: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman
Local: Tyler Nelson, Central Catholic
Girls: Breanna Stewart, Cicero North

2012 Hoophall Classic All-Tournament First Team
Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman
Nerlens Noel, Tilton
Tyler Lewis, Oak Hill
Aaron Thomas, Brewster
Kyle Anderson, St. Anthony

2012 Hoophall Classic All-Tournament Second Team
Dominic Artis, Findlay
Kris Jenkins, Gonzaga
Katin Reinhardt, Mater Dei
Grant Jerrett, LaVerne Lutheran
Jabari Parker, Chicago Simeon

2012 Hoophall Classic All-Local Team
Tyrell Springer, Central
Tyler Nelson, Central Catholic
Joe Crapps, New Leadership
Jaylen Brantley, Wilbraham & Monson
Kamali Bey, Wilbraham & Monson

Seven Games plus Skills Challenge Nationally Televised on ESPN Networks During Basketball Hall of Fame’s Five-Day 2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic

Five of the nation’s Top 6 ESPN FAB 50 teams face-off in the birthplace of basketball at the prestigious Hoophall Classic from January 12-16 in Springfield, Mass.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – With seven nationally televised games, five days of exciting action and over 45 participating teams, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic, presented by Big Y World Class Markets, will once again be held at Springfield College’s Blake Arena from January 12-16 during Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend.  This year’s exciting matchups include six of the top eight teams from the ESPN FAB 50 including No. 1 Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, IL), No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA), No. 4 St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, NJ), coached by Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Hurley, Sr., No. 5 DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, MD), No. 6. Findlay College Prep (Henderson, NV) and No. 8 Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA).

Seven games plus the Spalding Skills Competition will be televised nationally on the ESPN Networks on Sunday and Monday, four games will be televised on Connecticut Public Television and one game will be broadcast on Sirius XM Radio channel 92 on Monday.

Television/Radio Broadcast Schedule:
Fri/6:00 pm - W. Springfield Girls (MA) vs. Cicero North Girls (NY) - CPTV
Sat/12:00 pm - Springfield Central (MA) vs. Windsor High School (CT) - CPTV
Sat/6:00 pm - No. 2 Oak Hill (VA) vs. No. 23 Prestonwood Christian (TX) - CPTV
Sat/8:00 pm - Northwest Catholic (CT) vs. No. 5 DeMatha Catholic (MD) - CPTV
Sun/2:00 pm - Friends' Central (PA) vs. St. Mark's (MA) - ESPNU
Sun/4:00 pm - Brewster Academy (NH) vs. Tilton School (NH) - ESPN
Sun/6:00 pm - New Hampton Prep (NH) vs. Notre Dame Prep (MA) - ESPN3
Sun/8:30 pm - Spalding Skills Contest (Half-Court Hustle, Slam Dunk, 3-Point) - ESPN3
Mon/11:00 am - No. 34 Miller Grove (GA) vs. No. 4 St. Anthony (NJ) - ESPNU/SiriusXM channel 92
Mon/1:00 pm - No. 24 Bishop Gorman (NV) vs. No. 5 DeMatha Catholic (MD) - ESPNU
Mon/3:00 pm - No. 1 Simeon (IL) vs. No. 6 Findlay Prep (NV) - ESPNU
Mon/5:00 pm - No. 8 Mater Dei (CA) vs. Christ the King (NY) - ESPNU

The 2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic also continues its tradition of talented players by featuring more than 25 of the current ESPNU Top 100 in the class of 2012, including No. 1 Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman High School/Las Vegas, NV), No. 2 Mitch McGary (Brewster Academy/Wolfeboro,NH), No. 4 Brandon Ashley (Findlay Prep/Henderson, NV), No. 5 Kyle Anderson (St. Anthony High School/Jersey City, NJ), No. 6 Kaleb Tarczewski (St. Mark’s School/Southborough, MA), No. 7 Anthony Bennett (Findlay College Prep/Henderson, NV), No. 9 Grant Jerrett (LaVerne Lutheran/LaVerne, CA) as well as the top three ESPNU 2013 standouts Jabari Parker (Simeon Career Academy/Chicago, IL), Nerlens Noel (Tilton High School/Tilton, NH) and Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian/Plano, TX).

On Friday night, the nation’s No. 1 girls recruit, Breanna Stewart, will lead Cicero-North against West Springfield High School.  Stewart has committed to play for UConn next year.

Last year’s games were highlighted by current college standouts Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Michael Gilchrist (Kentucky), Myck Kabongo (Texas), Shannon Scott (Ohio State) and Quinn Cook (Duke).  Spalding Hoophall Classic alumni who made their mark in this year’s 2011 NBA draft include No. 1 draft pick Kyrie Irving (Cleveland), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland), Brandon Knight (Detroit), Kemba Walker (Charlotte), Josh Selby (Memphis), Cory Joseph (San Antonio), and Tobias Harris (Milwaukee).        

In addition to the game, Spalding also sponsors the Spalding Skills Challenge. The Skills Challenge features three events including the Spalding Half-Court Hustle, Spalding 3-Point Shootout and the Spalding Slam Dunk Contest at Blake Arena on Sunday, January 15th.  An associated youth tournament, Junior Hoophall Classic, will return this year with details located at www.basketbull.org.  

MassLive.com, the online home of The Republican, will provide extensive coverage of the 2012 Hoophall Classic including game stories, videos, stats, photos and player interviews. Log on to MassLive.com/HoophallClassic for complete coverage.  

The Basketball Hall of Fame’s Spalding Hoophall Classic is presented by Big Y World Class Markets, with premium sponsorship from Northeast Utilities. Supporting sponsors for the Hoophall Classic are NIKE, MassMutual Financial Group and Springfield College.  The RUSH, which has been added as the official videographer this year, is a company that captures highlights of sporting events, which are sent to subscriber’s smartphones and computers in real time.

Tickets for the event are $15 for adults and $10 for youth/students (18 and under). All patrons that present a Big Y World Class Market Savings Card will receive a $1 discount on each ticket purchased.  For more information, please visit the official web site, www.thehoophallclassic.com.  

About Spalding
Division of Russell Corporation, the Spalding Group is now the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world. Spalding is the official basketball of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the official backboard of the NBA and NCAA, the official volleyball of the King of the Beach Volleyball Tour and the official football of Pop Warner. In addition to being the leading producer and marketer of basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, Spalding produces softballs under the Dudley brand. For more information, visit www.spalding.com.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.  For more information on these and other upcoming events, please visit our website at www.hoophall.com or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA.

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For more information:
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF
… on Twitter: @hoophall
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA

Basketball Hall of Fame Announces 2012 Bob Cousy Award Candidates

Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts announced today the candidates for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. Almost 60 candidates have been nominated for the 2012 Bob Cousy Award.

“The Hall of Fame is honored to be working with Mr. Cousy once again to present this prestigious award,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The list of candidates include the top players from across the country that have shown the same leadership, hard work and determination that Mr. Cousy exemplified on the court for many years. We are excited to honor his legacy with the winner of this year’s award.”

“Bob was an extraordinary all-around basketball player, he was a fierce competitor and a great leader,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “With this award we want to continue to honor his legacy and make certain that the best collegiate point guards are appropriately recognized.”

This original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final twenty by January 1st, final ten by February 1st, and final five by March 1st. A premier Selection Committee will be appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the final five candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. These Hall of Fame committees are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in New Orleans as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) and last year’s recipient Kemba Walker (Connecticut).  For more information on the 2012 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.

For more information:
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF
… on Twitter: @hoophall
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA

2012 Bob Cousy Award Candidates:
Randy Davis, Ball State
Pierre Jackson, Baylor
Keegan Bell, Chattanooga
Andre Young, Clemson
Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Brian Barbour, Columbia
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
Chris Wroblewski, Cornell
Antoine Young, Creighton
JP Kuhlman, Davidson
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Seth Curry, Duke
TJ McConnell, Duquesne
Kenny Boynton, Florida
Erving Walker, Florida
Luke Loucks, Florida State
Jeff Peterson, Florida State
Tony Taylor, George Washington
James Fields, Georgia State
Brandyn Curry, Harvard
Scott Machado, Iona
Stephen Thomas, IUPUI
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas
Marquis Teague, Kentucky
Tyreek Duren, La Salle
Mackey McKnight, Lehigh
Casper Ware, Long Beach State
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Damier Pitts, Marshall
Will Barton, Memphis
Joe Jackson, Memphis
Malcolm Grant, Miami
Trey Burke, Michigan
Kaylon Williams, Milwaukee
Dee Bost, Mississippi State
Mike Dixon, Missouri
Phil Pressey, Missouri
Will Cherry, Montana
Kendall Williams, New Mexico
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
Lorenzo Brown, NC State
Stallon Saldivar, Northern Arizona
Reggie Hamilton, Oakland
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
D.J. Cooper, Ohio University
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
Tim Frazier, Penn State
Zack Rosen, Pennsylvania
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Lewis Jackson, Purdue
Matthew Dellavedova, St. Mary's
Bryan Dougher, Stony Brook University
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse
Brandon Triche, Syracuse
Wil Peters, Tennessee State
Myck Kabongo, Texas
Dash Harris, Texas A&M
Hank Thorns, TCU
Will Weathers, Troy
Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt
Maalik Wayns, Villanova
Erick Green, Virginia Tech
Abdul Gaddy, Washington
Tony Wroten, Washington
Damian Lillard, Weber State
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
Tu Holloway, Xavier

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Big Y World Class Markets Renews Partnership As Presenting Sponsor of Spalding Hoophall Classic

Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that Big Y World Class Markets will continue its partnership as the presenting sponsor of this year’s 2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic.  The high school basketball tournament is in its 11th year and has expanded to five days with 46 teams at Springfield College’s Blake Arena from January 12-16.  Seven of the nation’s top nine teams from the ESPN FAB 50 rankings will be participating.

“We are extremely grateful for Big Y’s commitment to the Hall of Fame and the Spalding Hoophall Classic,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  “Big Y has been a major participant in the Springfield community and their support will continue to make an impact on hundreds of aspiring basketball players from New England and around the country.”

This year’s elite programs include No 1. Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, IL), No. 2 Miller Grove High School (Lithonia, GA), No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA), No. 6 Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA), No. 7 Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, NV), No. 8. Findlay College Prep (Henderson, NV) and No. 9 St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, NJ), coached by Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Hurley, Sr.

“Big Y is proud to support one of the most celebrated events in the City of Springfield,” said John Schnepp, Director of Advertising for Big Y Foods.  “The Spalding Hoophall Classic draws thousands of fans from around the region to watch some exciting basketball and we value our partnership with the Basketball Hall of Fame.”

Tickets for the event are on sale in advance at the Basketball Hall of Fame at $15 for adults and $10 for youth/students (18 and under). All patrons that present a Big Y World Class Market Savings Card will receive a $1 discount on each ticket purchased.  For more information, visit the official web site at www.thehoophallclassic.com.

Big Y World Class Markets:
Headquartered in Springfield, MA, Big Y is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. Proud to be family owned and operated, they currently operate 61 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts with over 10,000 employees. Founded in 1936 by brothers Paul and Gerald D’Amour, the store was named after an intersection in Chicopee, Massachusetts where two roads converge to form a “Y”. This year, the company celebrates its 75th anniversary.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.

For more information:
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF
… on Twitter: @hoophall
… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA