KU’s Devon Dotson one of 20 players on Cousy list; Big 12/Big East challenge in works?

Kansas freshman Devon Dotson is one of 20 players on the watch list for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday.

Dotson, a 6-2 lead guard from Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., averaged 28.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists his senior year of high school.

Others on the watch list: Jared Harper, Auburn; Ky Bowman, Boston College; Tre Jones, Duke; Josh Perkins, Gonzaga; Tremont Waters, LSU; Markus Howard, Marquette; Jon Elmore, Marshall; Cassius Winston, Michigan State; Cody Martin, Nevada; Ahmad Carver, Old Dominion; Payton Pritchard, Oregon; Carsen Edwards, Purdue; Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s; Alex Robinson, TCU; Jordan Bone, Tennessee; Jaylen Hands, UCLA; Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova; Ty Jerome, Virginia; Justin Robinson, Virginia Tech.

The winner of the 2019 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on April 12, 2019.

Big 12, Big East to play challenge?

The Big 12 and Big East have agreed to an annual “challenge” series between teams from the two conferences with an official announcement expected “soon,” according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Talk of this proposed series, which would have each of the 10 Big 12 teams play one Big East team starting in 2019-20, first surfaced in May. This series would make sure the Big 12 teams would have 20 locked-in, high-major opponents — 18 Big 12 games, plus one each vs. the Big East and SEC.

The SEC/Big 12 Challenge, now in its sixth season, does expire after the 2018-19 campaign. However, it is expected to continue.

KU schedule maker Larry Keating said he was aware the Big 12 office was discussing a Big 12/Big East Challenge.

“This is designed to add quality games to each school’s schedule,” Keating said Monday. “As conferences have moved to 20-game schedules, with the Pac-12 going to 20 and ACC and Big Ten at 20 already, it means those teams are less available for nonconference games. This helps make sure everybody is getting quality nonconference games.”

KU has a Big East school on the schedule next season. The Jayhawks will travel to Villanova. The 10-team Big East is made up of defending national champion Nova, plus Xavier, Butler, Seton Hall, Creighton, Providence, Marquette, Georgetown, St. John’s and DePaul.

Gary Bedore

Gary Bedore covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.