BATON ROUGE -- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts announced Monday the five finalists for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and in that five is LSU sophomore Tremont Waters.

Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross point guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its sixteenth year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball.

The finalists for the 2019 Bob Cousy Award joining Waters are: Josh Perkins (Gonzaga), Markus Howard (Marquette), Cassius Winston (Michigan State) and Ja Morant (Murray State).

“This season, basketball fans have been treated to a number of high-level point guards in the collegiate game,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Our five distinguished finalists exhibit many of the playmaking and leadership qualities that allowed Bob Cousy to have such extraordinary success at all levels of the game.”

A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in October, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and now just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee.

Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 8-29.

Waters, who missed two games with an illness and returned Saturday at Alabama, is averaging 15.3 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.0 steals per game. He is eighth in scoring, third in assists and first in steals. He is also eighth in free throw percentage.

In league games, Waters is fourth in the SEC in scoring at 17.9 points per game, first in assists (6.1) and steals (2.9) and ninth in field goal percentage at 44.6%.

Waters overall steals average of 3.0 is not only first in the league but fourth in the NCAA.

“It is an immense honor to serve as Chairman of the Bob Cousy Award committee,” said Ken Kaufman. “I know how much this award means to Mr. Cousy and how important it is to him that we get it right. There are certainly a number of fine point guards in the game today, but I believe these finalists represent the best of the best.”

“For many years, I’ve been privileged to bestow an award bearing my name on the best college point guards,” said Bob Cousy, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1971. “I’ve enjoyed watching them develop from elite collegiate athletes to professionals, creating a unique thread between all who have been fortunate to win this award.”

The winner of the 2019 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and receiving support from Eaton Ephesus Lighting include the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Frank Mason III, Kansas (2017), Tyler Ulis, Kentucky (2016), 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).