University of Texas Men’s Basketball junior Jordan Pope is one of 20 preseason candidates for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday. Named after Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, this annual award recognizes the top point guard in Division I men’s college basketball and is now in its 22nd year.
The list will be narrowed down to 10 players in early February, with the five finalists announced in early March. The award winner will be revealed at the Final Four in San Antonio. The list is dynamic, allowing players to play their way on or off until the final selection. Former Longhorn D.J. Augustin won the Bob Cousy Award in 2008. Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting today.
Pope, who played the previous two seasons at Oregon State (2022-24), has amassed 965 points (15.1 ppg), 183 assists (2.9 apg), and 165 rebounds (2.6 rpg) in 64 career games (63 starts). He has shot 43.9% from the floor, 37.4% from three-point range, and 86.1% from the free-throw line in his career. He has scored in double figures 54 times, including thirteen 20-point games and two 30-point performances.
As a sophomore in 2023-24, Pope earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention accolades, leading his team in scoring (17.6 ppg), assists (109), and minutes (35.7 mpg). He shot 45.1% from the floor, 37.1% from three-point range, and 87.9% from the free-throw line, finishing the season as the fourth-highest scoring sophomore in Oregon State history with 562 points. Pope reached double figures in 31 of 32 games, including twelve 20-point games and two 30-point efforts. He was named ESPN and Naismith National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Player of the Week for his performances against Arizona and Arizona State, where he averaged 25.0 ppg and 5.5 apg while shooting 60.7%.
Pope was also part of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2022-23, leading Oregon State in scoring (12.6 ppg), assists (74), and minutes (33.6 mpg) while setting the school freshman record for three-pointers made (60) and tying the freshman scoring record (403 points).
No. 19/19 Texas opens the 2024-25 season against Ohio State on Monday, Nov. 4, at the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas Opening Night event. The game tips off at 9 p.m. Central (7 p.m. Pacific) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be nationally televised by TNT and truTV and streamed on Max. The Longhorns’ home opener against Houston Christian, presented by Truist, is set for Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. Central at Moody Center and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
