Ryan Nembhard an obvious snub from Bob Cousy Award finalist list

On Monday, the finalists for the Bob Cousy Award were announced. It’s the top individual prize for the best point guard in all of college basketball. Some names listed weren’t surprising, including Braden Smith of Purdue and Alabama’s Mark Sears. The other three candidates were Walton Clayton Jr. (Florida), Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), and Kam Jones (Marquette). 

But there was one name that was a consensus omission. Ryan Nembhard has been one of the best pure passers in college basketball for the last two years, ever since he transferred over to Gonzaga. A year ago, he produced 12.6 ppg and 6.9 apg as an all-league player.

This year, Nembhard’s passing numbers have grown to historic levels. After a season-high 16 assists in a road win at San Francisco, the senior ball-handler is now averaging exactly 10 apg, good for No. 1 in the entire country. So, how is the best statistical passer in the nation part of the final five? 

This is where winning seems to matter most. The five finalists are all on top-10 teams, including three in the top-10. Meanwhile, Gonzaga has been unranked for at least a month and up until the last two Quad 1 wins, were close on the bubble. That wasn’t Nembhard’s fault but the Bulldogs’ struggles have seemed to play a big role in his exclusion.

The reaction online was fierce, with many Gonzaga supporters upset with Nembhard not being included. But the senior guard has plenty to play for. He’s already 10th all-time in season-single assists on average, on pace to be as high as 5th if the team makes a run in the NCAA Tournament. 

It’s been a historical season for Nembhard so far. We’ll see if it’s enough to carry Gonzaga back to another Sweet 16 appearance in the next couple of weeks.