Miami Hurricanes Basketball: Angel Rodriguez on Bob Cousy Award List

We’re in the thick of football season, but the Miami Hurricanes basketball team starts off their season on Thursday against Eckerd College in a free exhibition game at the BankUnited Center.

Before that happens, on Tuesday, Hurricanes point guard Angel Rodriguez has been placed on the Bob Cousy Award list. The award is given to the best collegiate point guard in the nation. There are 35 other names on the list so the climb will be a big one for Rodriguez, but the new Canes point guard has a lot of talent and he’s ready to lead the Hurricanes back to the NCAA tournament and to another successful run in March.

Congratulations, Angel!

Full press release:

"SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that University of Miami guard Angel Rodriguez is on the watch list for the 2015 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 men’s college basketball. Over 35 candidates have been nominated for the 2015 Bob Cousy Award.“The Hall of Fame is honored to work with Mr. Cousy and to recognize some of the nation’s top collegiate point guards,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “This year’s list showcases student athletes that have all of the intangibles that would make them great candidates for this prestigious award.”Rodriguez, from Cupey, P.R., was an All-Big 12 Second Team performer and on the Big 12 All-Defensive team as a sophomore, while leading his squad to the Big 12 Championship. He averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals that season, starting all 33 games. Rodriguez, who played prep ball at Miami Krop High, will play his first season for the Hurricanes in 2014-15, after sitting out last year’s campaign due to NCAA transfer rules.“The Cousy Award has become one of the top awards in college basketball,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “We look forward to another season of watching the best point guards in college basketball compete for this elite award.”This watch list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 in early February, then final five by early March. A premier Selection Committee has been appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. This committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including members of the media, head coaches, media relations contacts and Hall of Famers. The Cousy Award winner will be presented the award on Championship Monday in Indianapolis at the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 Announcement and Press Conference.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), Kemba Walker (Connecticut) and last year’s recipient Kendall Marshall (North Carolina), Trey Burke (Michigan) and Shabazz Napier (Connecticut). For more information on the 2015 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.2015 Bob Cousy Award CandidatesPlayer Name, School NameOlivier Hanlan, Boston CollegeQuinn Cook, Duke UniversityTyus Jones, Duke UniversityD’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown UniversityKevin Pangos, Gonzaga UniversitySiyani Chambers, Harvard UniversityYogi Ferrell, Indiana UniversityMonte Morris, Iowa State UniversityKenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech UniversityCameron Payne, Murray State UniversityChasson Randle, Stanford UniversityWill Cummings, Temple UniversityAlex Caruso, Texas A&M UniversityT.J. McConnell, University of ArizonaRyan Boatright, University of ConnecticutKasey Hill, University of FloridaAndrew Harrison, University of KentuckyTyler Ulis, University of KentuckyTerry Rozier, University of LouisvilleRomelo Trimble, University of MarylandAngel Rodriguez, University of MiamiDerrick Walton Jr., University of MichiganJarvis Summers, University of MississippiMarcus Paige, University of North CarolinaPierria Henry, University of North Carolina (Charlotte)Jordan Woodward, University of OklahomaEC Matthews, University of Rhode IslandIsaiah Taylor, University of TexasJulius Brown, University of ToledoDelon Wright, University of UtahLondon Perrantes, University of VirginiaKeifer Sykes, University of Wisconsin-Green BayRyan Arcidiacono, Villanova UniversityBriante Weber, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityJuwan Staten , West Virginia UniversityFred VanVleet, Wichita State University"