Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Virginia’s Chance Mallory was one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the 2027 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced.
The annual Bob Cousy Award, named after the Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard, celebrates its 24th year by highlighting the top point guard in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball.
Mallory enjoyed a standout rookie season in 2025-26, averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He garnered preseason All-ACC second-team honors on Oct. 13.
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday (Oct. 30). In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Bob Cousy will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, where the winner will be selected. The selection committee for the Bob Cousy Award is composed of top men’s and women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2027 Cousy Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Awards (Center).
Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas (2026), Braden Smith, Purdue (2025), Tristen Newton, Connecticut (2024), Markquis Nowell, Kansas State (2023), Ja Morant, Murray State (2019), Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), and Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph’s (2004).
For more information on the 2027 Bob Cousy Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #CousyAward on X and Instagram.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors worldwide. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to nearly 500 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history.
Welcoming close to 200,000 visitors each year, the museum invites fans to learn about the game, experience interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo “Court of Dreams.” Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates more than 100 high school and collegiate games annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com or follow @hoophallu.
2027 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Candidates
Aden Holloway, Alabama
Jordan Smith Jr., Arkansas
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Robert Wright III, BYU
Boogie Fland, Florida
Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Markus Burton, Indiana
Jackson Shelstad, Louisville
Donovan Dent, LSU
Nigel James Jr., Marquette
Acaden Lewis, Miami
Elliott Cadeau, Michigan
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Jason Crowe Jr., Missouri
Quinn Ellis, St. John’s
Silas Demery Jr., UConn
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Chance Mallory, Virginia
Miles Sadler, West Virginia
On the women’s side, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), announced the watch-list candidates for the 2027 Nancy Lieberman Award. Virginia point guard Kymora Johnson was named as one of 20 players on the watch list.
Now in its 28th year, the Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.
Johnson makes her second consecutive appearance on the Lieberman Preseason Watchlist. A Preseason All-ACC selection, Johnson comes off a junior season in which she averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2025-26 and was one of just three players in NCAA Division I to average at least 19 points and 5.5 assists on the year. In the NCAA tournament, Johnson averaged 22 points, 5.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds to guide Virginia to its first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 26 years as UVA became the first team in history to reach the Sweet Sixteen after playing in the First Four.
She set program records for three pointers in a single game (10), single season (103) and career with 231. Her 41 points against Winthrop also marked the second-highest single-game total in program history and her career total of 1,725 points ranks ninth in program history. Johnson was named a first team All-ACC selection and a WBCA All-America honorable mention in 2026.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday (Oct. 30). In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy, Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards are composed of top men’s and women’s basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
2027 Nancy Lieberman Award Candidates
KK Arnold, UConn
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova
Kennedy Blair, Michigan State
Zoe Brooks, NC State
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Aliyah Chavez, Oklahoma
Jazzy Davidson, USC
Katie Fiso, Oregon
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Mila Holloway, Michigan
Kymora Johnson, Virginia
Zamareya Jones, Louisville
Liv McGill, Oklahoma State
S’Mya Nichols, Kansas
Bryanna Preston, Texas
Britt Prince, Nebraska
Gal Raviv, Miami
Jada Williams, LSU
Jadyn Wooten, TCU
Chit-Chat Wright, Iowa
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
