Nov. 19, 2024
2024-25 LOU HENSON EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST
Presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
BOSTON, MA -- The 2023-24 Lou Henson ‘Early Season’ Watch list has been announced. The award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
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 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
2024-25 LOU HENSON AWARD EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST
Tytan Anderson |
6-6 |
Northern Iowa |
Daniel Batcho |
6-11 |
Louisiana Tech |
Rasheed Bello |
6-0 |
Purdue Fort Wayne |
Austin Benigni |
5-10 |
Navy |
Devontae Blanton |
6-6 |
EKU |
Juslin Bodo Bodo |
7-0 |
High Point |
Trey Bonham |
6-0 |
Chattanooga |
Jamar Brown |
6-5 |
Kansas City |
Ante Brzovic |
6-10 |
Charleston |
Adam Clark |
5-10 |
Merrimack |
AJ Clayton |
6-7 |
Ohio |
Zach Cleveland |
6-7 |
Liberty |
Tayton Conerway |
6-3 |
Troy |
Duke Deen |
5-8 |
Bradley |
Kintavious Dozier |
6-1 |
Grambling |
Kezza Giffa |
6-2 |
High Point |
Landon Glasper |
6-2 |
NC A&T |
Tyon Grant-Foster |
6-7 |
Grand Canyon |
Barrington Hargress |
6-0 |
UC Riverside |
Bryce Harris |
6-4 |
Howard |
Ray Harrison |
6-4 |
Grand Canyon |
Ty Johnson |
6-3 |
UC Davis |
Jordan Jones |
6-0 |
Central Connecticut |
Rylan Jones |
6-0 |
Samford |
Kobe Julien |
6-6 |
Arkansas State |
Jacari Lane |
6-0 |
North Alabama |
Xaivian Lee |
6-4 |
Princeton |
Kino Lilly, Jr. |
6-0 |
Brown |
TJ Long |
6-4 |
Vermont |
Augustas Marciulionis |
6-4 |
Saint Mary’s |
Bez Mbeng |
6-4 |
Yale |
Issac McBride |
6-0 |
Oral Roberts |
AJ McKee |
6-2 |
Milwaukee |
Trent McLaughlin |
6-6 |
Northern Arizona |
Amarri Monroe |
6-7 |
Quinnipiac |
Brandon Noel |
6-8 |
Wright State |
Jacob Ognacevic |
6-8 |
Lipscomb |
Caden Pierce |
6-7 |
Princeton |
Josh Pascarelli |
6-3 |
Marist |
Quimari Peterson |
6-1 |
ETSU |
John Poulakidas |
6-6 |
Yale |
Matt Rogers |
6-9 |
American |
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa |
6-2 |
Columbia |
Christian Shumate |
6-6 |
McNeese |
Javan Simmons |
6-7 |
Toledo |
Payton Sparks |
6-10 |
Ball State |
Ray'Sean Taylor |
6-1 |
SIU Edwardsville |
Earl Timberlake |
6-6 |
Bryant |
Lamar Wilkerson |
6-5 |
Sam Houston |
JaCobi Wood |
6-2 |
Murray State |
2024: Trey Townsend, Oakland
2023: Jordan Brown, Louisiana
2022: Malachi Smith, Chattanooga
2021: Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
2020: Nathan Knight, William & Mary
2019: Fletcher Magee, Wofford
2018: Clayton Custer, Loyola Chicago
2017; Justin Robinson, Monmouth
2016: Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
2015: Ty Greene, USC Upstate
2014: Langston Hall, Mercer
2013: Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
2012: Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2010: Keith Benson, Oakland