With Darius Morris leaving Michigan last year to join the NBA, the Wolverines had a big question at point guard coming into this season. But freshman Trey Burke has calmed many of those concerns with his play thus far, averaging 14 points and five assists through Michigan's first 15 games.
That performance has qualified Burke as one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which annually goes to college basketball's top point guard. He joins Ohio State's Aaron Craft and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor among Big Ten players competing for the award.
Giving this story an amusing twist, Morris was a surprising omission from the group of Cousy finalists last season. But not much was expected from Michigan then, and as a result, the Wolverines had very little national television exposure. That kept Morris under the radar until he emerged as one of the nation's best point guards during the Big Ten season.
The 20 finalists will be winnowed down to 10 in February, followed by another round of cuts in March. The winner of the Cousy Award will be announced during the Final Four in New Orleans (April 2, to be exact).
Until then, Burke has plenty of other award recognition to enjoy. He won Big Ten Player of the Week honors for his performance last week against Minnesota and Penn State, sharing the award with Michigan State's Keith Appling. In addition, Burke was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third time this season.