• Lou Henson Award Website
Morehead State graduate forward
Riley MInix and UT Martin junior guard
Jordan Sears have been named finalists for the 2023-24 Lou Henson National Player of the Year award presented by CollegeInsider.com. The award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
Minix, the OVC Player of the Year, enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists/game while hitting 54.6 percent from the field, 34.0 percent from 3-point range and 83.4 from the charity stripe. Minix, who was also named the MVP of the OVC Tournament, had 19 double-doubles on the season, a mark that ranks fifth nationally, while his points/game average is 23rd nationally while his rebounding average is 25th.
Sears shattered the Skyhawks' single-season record for free throws made (162) – a mark that had stood since the 1985-86 campaign. He also ranked in the top-five in UT Martin single-season history in scoring (692 points, third behind only two seasons of Hudson) and field goals made (227, fifth). Sears wrapped up his second season in a Skyhawk uniform as the OVC leader in scoring at 21.6 points per game – ranking ninth nationally as he was the first UT Martin representative to top the league in that category since Hudson in 2008-09. He also ranked in the OVC's top-10 in assists (4.5 per game, second), free throw percentage (.839, third), minutes played (33.7 per outing, fourth), field goal percentage (.432, sixth), three-point field goals made (2.4 per game, sixth), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4, eighth) and steals (1.3 per outing, ninth).
The Lou Henson award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Coach Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989. Henson, who is also the all-time winningest coach in New Mexico State history with 289 victories, is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Final Four. His teams have made 19 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances. Coach Henson passed away on July 25, 2020.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2024 award will be announced in Phoenix, AZ, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
2024 LOU HENSON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
Achor Achor, Samford
Robbie Avila, Indiana State
Jalen Blackmon, Stetson
Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky
Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech
Tucker DeVries, Drake
Terrence Edwards, Jr., James Madison
Enrique Freeman, Akron
Kezza Giffa, High Point
Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon
Donovan Gregory, Appalachian State
Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Xaivian Lee, Princeton
Malik Mack, Harvard
Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary’s
Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State
Riley Minix, Morehead State
Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Elijah Pepper, UC Davis
Caden Pierce, Princeton
Bryce Pope, UC San Diego
Noah Reynolds, Green Bay
Jordan Sears, UT Martin
Braeden Smith, Colgate
Reyne Smith, Charleston
Isaiah Swope, Indiana State
Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk State
Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
Trey Townsend, Oakland
Shahada Wells, McNeese
Danny Wolf, Yale
Lamar Wilkerson, Sam Houston
Vonterius Woolbright, Western Carolina