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Cooper Selected As 2013 Cousy Award Finalist


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Ohio men's basketball senior guard D.J. Cooper has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award for the second straight season, announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today. 

The award is given out annually, in honor of Bob Cousy, former Boston Celtic, and recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. Cousy went to the College of Holy Cross and was taken as the first round pick in the NBA Draft in 1950. 

There were originally 80 nominees for the award, which was trimmed down to 60 in December and then to 20 finalists today. The current list will be cut down to 10 finalists in February and then the final five in March. The winner will be announced as part of the NCAA Final Four weekend in Atlanta, GA this spring. 

Cooper is in the middle of yet another stellar season at Ohio. On January 5, he broke the single-game record with 17 assists in Ohio's 94-57 victory over Marshall. 17 assists also ties the all-time Mid-American conference record for assists in a single game. 

The Chicago, IL native is Ohio's all time leaders in assists with 818 and steals with 286. Cooper has also recorded the most assists in the history of the MAC. He only needs two more assists to move into the top-25 on the NCAA Division I career assists list. 

Other 2013 finalists include Aaron Craft of Ohio State and Trey Burke of Michigan. Kendall Marshall of North Carolina took home the award in 2012, and University of Connecticut's Kemba Walker was named the winner in 2011.