Dosunmu Awards | Basketball Hall of Fame Starting Five Awards
Illinois junior Ayo Dosunmu's brilliant season has culminated with the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The Basketball Hall of Fame revealed Saturday this year's five positional award winners, also known as the Naismith Starting Five, during ESPN's College Game Day coverage of the NCAA Men's Final Four in Indianapolis.
"Looking at the field of dynamic finalists, I am beyond honored to be the 2021 Bob Cousy Award recipient," Dosunmu said. "Winning this award was among the list of personal goals I set when deciding to return to Illinois for a third season, and I'm grateful and blessed to have accumulated a body of work this season that Mr. Cousy and the committee thought so highly of. It's a dream come true!"
The Cousy Award is the latest honor for Dosunmu, who became the first player in the last 11 years to average 20 points (20.1 ppg), six rebounds (6.3 rpg) and five assists (5.3 apg). He was named USA Today National Player of the Year and is a consensus first-team All-American after being honored by every organization. Dosunmu is the second Illini player to win the Cousy Award, following Dee Brown in 2006.
2021 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Starting Five Award Winners
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year – Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year – Chris Duarte, Oregon
Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year – Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year – Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year – Luka Garza, Iowa
The winners were determined by a combination of input from committees composed of top basketball personnel and over 136,000 votes cast over the course of the season via Starting Five Fan Voting Presented by Dell Technologies.
"The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game, both men and women at every level," said John Doleva, President of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "This season has been a challenging one to say the least, and the sacrifices these student athletes have made is not lost on us. Today we honor them for their accomplishments and recognize them as our 2021 Men's Naismith Starting Five."
Ayo Dosunmu 2020-21 Highlights
- USA Today National Player of the Year
- Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year
- Consensus First-Team All-American
- Wooden Award Finalist
- Naismith Trophy Finalist
- Oscar Robertson Trophy Finalist
- Wooden Award All-American Team
- Associated Press First-Team All-American, the first-ever Illini voted to first team by AP
- NABC First-Team All-American
- USBWA First-Team All-American
- Sporting News unanimous First-Team All-American
- Sports Illustrated unanimous First-Team All-American
- CBS Sports First-Team All-American
- USA Today First-Team All-American
- Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team
- USBWA District V Player of the Year and All-District Team
- Unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten
- NABC First-Team All-District 7
- Only player in the NCAA over the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists
- Joined Michigan State's Magic Johnson as the only two players in Big Ten history with multiple triple-doubles in league play
- Concluded junior season with scoring average of 20.1 points, the highest by an Illini in the last 30 years
- 21st in the NCAA in scoring (20.1 ppg)
- Second in the Big Ten in assists (5.3 apg)
- 13th in the B1G in rebounding (6.3 rpg)
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Winners
2021 – Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
2020 – Payton Pritchard, Oregon
2019 – Ja Morant, Murray State
2018 – Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2017 – Frank Mason III, Kansas
2016 – Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
2015 – Delon Wright, Utah
2014 – Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
2013 – Trey Burke, Michigan
2012 – Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
2011 – Kemba Walker, Connecticut
2010 – Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
2009 – Ty Lawson, North Carolina
2008 – DJ Augustin, Texas
2007 – Acie Law IV, Texas A&M
2006 – Dee Brown, Illinois
2005 – Raymond Felton, North Carolina
2004 – Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
