STANFORD, Calif.- Freshman point guard JJ Hones (Beaverton, Ore.) has been named one of 11 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top collegiate point guard.
The award, in its eighth season and named for Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, is given by the Rotary Club of Detroit and is based on floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills. The 11 finalists were voted on by sportswriters from across the country.
Three finalists and a winner will be selected from the final 11 and announced during the NCAA Final Four weekend of April 1-3, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Other Nancy Lieberman Award finalists include: Kimberly Beck (George Washington), Dee Davis (Vanderbilt), Lindsey Harding (Duke), Cameo Hicks (Washington), Ivory Latta (North Carolina), Lyndsey Medders (Iowa State), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Mandy Morales (Montana), Rudy Sims (Arkansas State), Kristi Toliver (Maryland).
The recognition of Hones as a finalist is impressive, considering she is out for the remainder of the year due to an ACL tear in her left knee. Prior to suffering the injury while driving to the basket 45 seconds into Stanford's 72-57 loss to California on Feb. 4, Hones had emerged as the floor leader of the Cardinal offense despite being just a rookie.
Hones had started 20 of the 23 contests in which she appeared, averaging 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while raking second on the squad in three-pointers. Hones dished out an impressive 90 assists while committing only 32 turnovers, translating into an outstanding 2.81 ratio that still leads the Pac-10 heading into the final week of regular-season play.
Hones dished out at least four assists in a game on 14 different occasions and scored a season-high 17 points at Washington State on Jan. 13. She registered a season-best seven assists in a game twice.
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