Indiana University Athletics
10/26/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2027 Bob Cousy Award.
The annual Bob Cousy Award, named after the Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard, celebrates its 24th year by highlighting the top point guard in NCAA Division I men's college basketball.
Included in the nominees is fourth-year guard Markus Burton, the 2023 Indiana Mr. Basketball, who earned two All-ACC selections and ACC Rookie of the Year plaudits in three seasons at Notre Dame. He averaged 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 33.2 minutes per game in 69 career games (68 starts).
He scored double figures in 63 career games, topped the 20-point barrier 33 times, and scored 30-plus points in four contests. Burton averaged 19.7 points and 3.7 assists per game in his last seven games against ranked opponents (six away from home).
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the season at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 2, against Eastern Illinois at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
BOB COUSY POINT GAURD OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON CANDIDATES*
Markus Burton, Indiana
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Jason Crowe Jr., Missouri
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Donovan Dent, LSU
Quinn Ellis, St. John's
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Boogie Fland, Florida
Aden Holloway, Alabama
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Nigel James Jr., Marquette
Acaden Lewis, Miami
Chance Mallory, Virginia
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Miles Sadler, West Virginia
Jackson Shelstad, Louisville
Jordan Smith Jr., Arkansas
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Robert Wright III, BYU
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2025-26 season
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy, Lieberman, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winners of the 2027 Cousy and Lieberman Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas (2026), Braden Smith, Purdue (2025), Tristen Newton, Connecticut (2024), Markquis Nowell, Kansas State (2023), Ja Morant, Murray State (2019), Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), and Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's (2004).
For more information on the 2027 Bob Cousy Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #CousyAward on X and Instagram.
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 nonprofit 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 worldwide. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to nearly 500 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Welcoming close to 200,000 visitors each year, the museum invites fans to learn about the game, experience 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 more than 100 high school and collegiate games annually throughout the country and abroad.
@IndianaMBB
For all the latest on Indiana University men's basketball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMBB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The annual Bob Cousy Award, named after the Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard, celebrates its 24th year by highlighting the top point guard in NCAA Division I men's college basketball.
Included in the nominees is fourth-year guard Markus Burton, the 2023 Indiana Mr. Basketball, who earned two All-ACC selections and ACC Rookie of the Year plaudits in three seasons at Notre Dame. He averaged 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 33.2 minutes per game in 69 career games (68 starts).
He scored double figures in 63 career games, topped the 20-point barrier 33 times, and scored 30-plus points in four contests. Burton averaged 19.7 points and 3.7 assists per game in his last seven games against ranked opponents (six away from home).
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the season at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 2, against Eastern Illinois at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
BOB COUSY POINT GAURD OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON CANDIDATES*
Markus Burton, Indiana
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Jason Crowe Jr., Missouri
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Donovan Dent, LSU
Quinn Ellis, St. John's
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Boogie Fland, Florida
Aden Holloway, Alabama
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Nigel James Jr., Marquette
Acaden Lewis, Miami
Chance Mallory, Virginia
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Miles Sadler, West Virginia
Jackson Shelstad, Louisville
Jordan Smith Jr., Arkansas
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Robert Wright III, BYU
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2025-26 season
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy, Lieberman, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winners of the 2027 Cousy and Lieberman Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas (2026), Braden Smith, Purdue (2025), Tristen Newton, Connecticut (2024), Markquis Nowell, Kansas State (2023), Ja Morant, Murray State (2019), Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), and Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's (2004).
For more information on the 2027 Bob Cousy Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #CousyAward on X and Instagram.
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 nonprofit 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 worldwide. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to nearly 500 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Welcoming close to 200,000 visitors each year, the museum invites fans to learn about the game, experience 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 more than 100 high school and collegiate games annually throughout the country and abroad.
@IndianaMBB
For all the latest on Indiana University men's basketball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMBB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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