Ronald Steele a Cousy Finalist
2/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
From the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Beginning today, college basketball fans nationwide will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite candidate online at www.cousyaward.com <http://www.hoophall.com/> and also enter a drawing to receive two tickets to a 2007 Men's NCAA First, Second or Regional Round game. The top vote-getter from the on-line poll will receive the "Fan Vote", representing one vote to be cast by the Blue Ribbon committee selecting the Award winner. The committee is comprised of Hall of Famers including Bob Cousy, Lute Olson and Jim Calhoun, college coaches from Divisions I, II and III, members of the media and additional college basketball experts and celebrities. The 2007 Bob Cousy Award presented by The
"The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford has established itself as one of college basketball's premier awards" said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President & CEO. "Mr. Cousy had a vision for this award when it was created - to recognize winning traits like leadership, vision and integrity. When you review the credentials of the student-athletes who are Finalists for the 2007 Award, it is clear there are a number of talented players who are striving to achieve the standard set by Mr.
Cousy. "
"Just like these players demonstrate on the basketball court, The Hartford and its network of independent agents represent leadership, vision, teamwork and integrity in the insurance industry," said David Moore, assistant vice president of marketing for The Hartford's Property & Casualty operations. "We're honored to be part of a growing tradition that supports these values, and we wish the best of luck to all the finalists for this year's award."
Cousy, also known as "Mr. Basketball," is considered the prototype of point guards and was a freshman on the Holy Cross team that won the NCAA Championship in 1947. He was a pioneer in the NBA, famous for bringing a 'flashy' style of passing and showmanship to the game. Named one of the Top 50 Players in NBA History, Cousy led the Boston Celtics to championships in 1957 and 1959 through 1963. Cousy led the NBA in assists for eight consecutive years (1953-1960) and played in 13 straight All-Star games. After his retirement from professional basketball he was a successful coach at
"If basketball is an art form," noted Cousy, "it primarily resides in the artistry, creativity, imagination and development of the nuances of the position by a genuine point guard such as John Stockton or Jason Kidd." Cousy was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.
About the Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford:
Nominees for the Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford were solicited through the College Sports Information Directors of America
(COSIDA) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). A committee comprised of CoSIDA members narrowed the field to 17 student athletes from all three divisions of men's NCAA college basketball. The group of 17 will be reviewed and a winner chosen by a Blue Ribbon selection committee comprised of Hall of Famers, Mr. Cousy, college coaches, media members, and a vote representing the top vote getter in the on-line poll at www.cousyaward.com <http://www.hoophall.com/> .
Previous winners of the award include Dee Brown of
2007 BOB COUSY AWARD PRESENTED BY THE
DIVISION I
Bobby Brown
Darren Collison UCLA
Levance Fields
Taurean Green
Dominic James
Jared Jordan Marist
Acie Law
Ty Lawson
Russell Robinson
Ramon Sessions
Sean Singletary
Mustafa Shakur
Ronald Steele
DIVISION II
Anthony Atkinson
Zach Whiting
DIVISION III
Andrew Olson
David Arsenault
