Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Jerry West, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
On-Hand to Present Award Winners in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Calif. — The 2018-19 college basketball season culminated with the College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s tonight in Los Angeles, where top coaches and players gathered for one more momentous evening. The 90-minute show, televised on ESPN from The Novo by Microsoft and hosted by Maria Taylor and analysts Chiney Ogwumike and Jay Williams, saw the nation’s top players recognized for their season-long achievements.
Awards were presented for the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Naismith Starting Five – the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard of the Year), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard of the Year), Julius Erving Award Presented by Daltile (Small Forward of the Year), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward of the Year) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center of the Year), as well as the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s (Player of the Year – Men), John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s (Player of the Year – Women) and John R. Wooden Award (Legends of Coaching).
Hall of Famers Abdul-Jabbar, Erving, Malone and West presented their named awards, while Cousy recorded a personal video message for his award recipient. The five positional awards, supported by Eaton Ephesus Lighting, began with a watch list of 20 student-athletes in October, which was narrowed to 10 in February and five finalists in March. Winners were determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
The 2019 Basketball Hall of Fame Naismith Starting Five:
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award: Ja Morant, Murray State
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award: RJ Barrett, Duke
Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award: Rui Hacimura, Gonzaga
Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award: Zion Williamson, Duke
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award: Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
For more information about the Naismith Starting 5, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall on Twitter and Instagram.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 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, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the 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 over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.