Gators Walter Clayton Jr. a Finalist for Bob Cousy Award

The Florida Gators senior guard is one of the final players in the running for an award for the top player at his position from the Baketball Hall of Fame

The Gators senior guard is up for an award from the Hall of Fame | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Florida Gators senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. has been selected as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Monday.

Alongside him, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Marquette’s Kam Jones, Purdue’s Braden Smith and Tennesse’s Zakai Zeigler are the top five finalists in the running. 

The Gators senior would be the first in program history to win the award and the first in program history to win any of the awards given out by the Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Clayton has garnered a wide range of honors for his performance this season, also earning a place on the Naismith and Wooden top 20 teams in February.

He leads the Gators with 16.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game (113 total) this season. He’s made 43.9% of his field goals and 36.3% of his shots from beyond the arc. Clayton has also made 82.6% of his free throws. 

He has led the Gators to their third 25-win regular season in program history. The Gators have also spent the last three months in the top-10 of the AP Poll. Their recent loss to Georgia knocked them down to No. 5 after being as high as No. 2. 

The award is named after Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, who played Holy Cross from 1946 to 1950 and then in the NBA for the Boston Celtics and Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) from 1950 to 1970. It has been awarded annually since 2004. 

He won the NBA MVP in 1957 and was named to the All-NBA First Team every year from 1952 to 1961. He was a 13-time All-Star and a two-time All-Star Game MVP.

Cousy won six championships with the Celtics and led the NBA in assists each season from 1953 to 1960. He was a member of the NBA’s 25th, 35th and 50th Anniversary Teams.