UConn’s Tristen Newton has been chosen for the 2024 “Naismith Starting Five.” He has won the Bob Cousy Award, according to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The awards recognize the “preeminent college basketball player at each position.” Newton won for point guard.
“It is an honor to receive this recognition. Credit to my teammates and coaches for always putting me in a position to succeed and put the team in the best position to win games. This would not be possible without the success of our team, and I am hungry to keep going in the Final Four.” – Tristen Newton said in a statement.
Newton, a guard from El Paso, Texas, is a UConn graduate student.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
"The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game at every level, both men and women," John Doleva, president of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said in a statement. "The student-athletes who have received our Starting Five Awards are a true reflection of the Hall of Famers for whom the awards are named, both in terms of their character and abilities on the court. We are honored to recognize this remarkable group of people, and we know they will continue to achieve success wherever they go. We honor their accomplishments today and name them the Men’s and Women’s 2024 Naismith Starting Five.”
The Hall of Fame selection committees started with a preseason watch list of 20 candidates in October, narrowed it down to 10 candidates in February, then five candidates in mid-March before determining the winner.
2024 Men’s Naismith Starting Five:
- Tristen Newton (UConn) – Bob Cousy (Point Guard) Award
- RJ Davis (North Carolina) – Jerry West (Shooting Guard) Award
- Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) – Julius Erving (Small Forward) Award
- Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State) – Karl Malone (Power Forward) Award
- Zach Edey (Purdue) – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Center) Award (Second two-time men’s award winner, also Luka Garza in 2019-20 and 2020-21)
2024 Women’s Naismith Starting Five:
- Caitlin Clark (Iowa) – Nancy Lieberman (Point Guard) Award (Three-time winner)
- JuJu Watkins (USC) – Anne Meyers Drysdale (Shooting Guard) Award
- Madison Booker (Texas) – Cheryl Miller (Small Forward) Award
- Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) – Katrina McClain (Power Forward) Award
- Cameron Brink (Stanford) – Lisa Leslie (Center) Award
