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The Best Passer in College Basketball Was Snubbed From Bob Cousy Award Recognition

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andy Patton | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 4:32 PM ET

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the five finalists for the 2025 Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the best point guard in college basketball.

Yet the point guard with far and away the most assists in the country, a point guard who is on pace to finish the season top five all-time in assists in a single-season, was not among them.

Ryan Nembhard, who finished the regular season with 310 assists after dropping 15 on Saturday against San Francisco, was not among the five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, passed over in favor of Mark Sears (Alabama), Walter Clayton Jr (Florida), Kam Jones (Marquette), Braden Smith (Purdue) and Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee).

Nembhard is averaging 10.9 points and 10.0 assists on the year, along with just 2.4 turnovers. While his scoring numbers aren't on the same level as the five finalists, his passing numbers are well ahead of everyone else in the country. Smith is second in the NCAA in assists per game at 8.7, a full 1.3 dimes behind Nembhard.

Smith is the probable winner here, with great scoring and rebounding numbers along with solid defensive metrics. Jones is an elite scorer and Sears, Clayton, and Zeigler are all great playmakers on teams that are in the conversation to earn No. 1 overall seeds in March.

That is the separator for Nembhard, unfortunately, as his performance is marred by being on a team that disappointed this season relative to expectations.

Anyone who watched Gonzaga this year knows Nembhard is not to blame, but ultimately he gets left off a list of finalists at a position where arguably the most important skill - facilitation - is what he does better than anyone in the country.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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