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Springfield, Mass. -- University of Dayton freshman point guard Juwan Staten is one of 66 college basketball players, and one of just five freshmen, on the 2011 Bob Cousy Award candidate list.  The list was announced today by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  The annual award, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes college basketball’s top point guard.  A total of 66 players have been nominated for the 2011 award.

Staten leads the Atlantic 10 and is ranked eighth nationally in assists, averaging 6.9 assists a game.  He is also the national leader among all freshmen, 1.8 assists ahead of Duke freshman Kyrie Irving’s 5.1.  Staten, Irving, South Carolina’s Bruce Ellington, Kentucky’s Brandon Knight and Missouri’s Phil Pressey are the five freshmen nominated.

A two-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, Staten averages 8.3 points a game.  His double-double of 10 points and 10 assists against Florida A&M on Nov. 24 was the first point-assist double-double at Dayton in nearly eight years.  

Staten is also one of four Atlantic 10 point guards in the running for the Cousy Award.  Richmond senior Kevin Anderson, Temple junior Juan Fernandez, Xavier junior Tu Holloway and Rhode Island senior Marquis Jones are also on the list.

This original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 by January 3rd, final 10 by February 3rd, and final five by March 3rd.  A Hall of Fame appointed screening committee will be narrowing down the candidates from 20 to 10 to 5 prior to a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee evaluating the final five candidates and ultimately choosing the winner.  

Both of the Hall of Fame committee’s are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and hall of famers.  The winner of the 2011 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Monday April 4th in Houston as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Staten was the first Flyer freshman to start a season opener at point guard since Edwin Young started the first 12 games of the 1996-97 campaign.  Staten is more than halfway to UD’s freshman record for assists in a season.  Negele Knight had 128 assists in his freshman year (1985-86).  He is third in the A-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3).

Dayton, 8-3 so far in 2010-11, takes on Winthrop tonight, Monday, Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m. ET in UD Arena.