University of Texas Point Guard D.J. Augustin Selected Winner of 2008 BOB COUSY AWARD presented by THE HARTFORD

Nation’s Top Collegiate Point Guard to be Introduced at NCAA Men’s Final Four

SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in conjunction withThe Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) are pleased to announce this years winner of the 2008 Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford, an honor presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate point guard.  D.J. Augustin of the University of Texas was chosen from a pool of over fifty top candidates and sixteen finalists from NCAA Division I, II and III institutions across the country.  Augustin was selected by a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee comprised of 30 members made up of coaches, Hall of Famers, Sports Information Directors and media from around the country.

Augustin followed a stellar freshman year with another tremendous season leading the Texas Longhorns to a 26-6 regular season record, the Big 12 Conference title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  He led the Big 12 in assists (5.8 apg) and ranked second in the league in scoring (19.2 ppg). Augustin recorded better than a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, averaged 1.2 steals per game, played more than 37 minutes per contest and shot 77.9% from the free throw line.

Augustin has been named First-Team All-America by The Associated Press, USBWA, Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News and is one of five finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy. 

Off the court, Augustin was named first-team Academic All-America in 2008.  To be nominated for Academic All-America, a player must be a starter or an important reserve and carry at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA on a scale of 4.0.  Augustin is an education major and earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the fall semester.  He currently holds a cumulative 3.64 GPA

“The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford has established itself as one of college basketball’s premier awards” said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President & CEO.  “Mr. Cousy has set a standard for the point guard position which is represented with this award.  Leadership, vision and integrity are just a few of the traits that each of these finalists has demonstrated both on and off the court.”

"Just like these players demonstrate on the basketball court, The Hartford and its network of independent agents represent leadership, vision, teamwork and integrity in the insurance industry," said Dan Brown, Executive Vice President of The Hartford's Sales and Distribution.  "We're honored to be part of a growing tradition that supports these values, and we congratulate D.J. Augustin for his tremendous accomplishments."

Cousy, also known as "Mr. Basketball," is considered the prototype of point guards and was a freshman on the Holy Cross team that won the NCAA Championship in 1947.  He was a pioneer in the NBA, famous for bringing a ‘flashy’ style of passing and showmanship to the game.  Named one of the Top 50 Players in NBA History, Cousy led the Boston Celtics to championships in 1957 and 1959 through 1963. Cousy led the NBA in assists for eight consecutive years (1953-1960) and played in 13 straight All-Star games. After his retirement from professional basketball he was a successful coach at Boston College from 1963 to 1969, with an overall record of 117 wins and 38 losses.

"If basketball is an art form," noted Cousy, "it primarily resides in the artistry, creativity, imagination and development of the nuances of the position by a genuine point guard such as John Stockton or Jason Kidd." Cousy was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

About The Hartford: 

The Hartford is one of the largest financial services and insurance companies in the U.S., with worldwide revenues of $25.9 billion in 2007.  The company is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property-casualty insurance.  International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom.  The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

About the Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford:

Nominees for the Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford were solicited through the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).  A committee comprised of CoSIDA members narrowed the field to 16 student athletes from all three divisions of men’s NCAA college basketball. The group of 16 will be reviewed and a winner chosen by a Blue Ribbon selection committee comprised of Hall of Famers, Mr. Cousy, college coaches, media members, sports information directors.

BOB COUSY AWARD PRESENTED BY THE HARTFORD

PAST WINNERS

2004 - Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s University

2005 - Raymond Felton, University of North Carolina

2006 - Dee Brown, University of Illinois

2007 - Acie Law, Texas A&M University