Liberty’s Cleveland Named to Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List
11/20/2024 3:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty junior forward Zach Cleveland has been tabbed to the 2024-25 Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List, announced by CollegeInsider.com.
The Lou Henson Award is given annually to the most outstanding mid-major men's college basketball player in NCAA Division I competition.
Cleveland is one of three Conference USA players on the 50-member watch list. Louisiana Tech's Daniel Batcho and Sam Houston's Lamar Wilkerson are the other two CUSA players on the list.
Cleveland, a native of Bloomington, Ill., is off to a strong start to his junior campaign. The forward is averaging 12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game through five games while shooting 59.5 percent from the field. Cleveland notched his sixth career 20-point game in Liberty's 68-47 road win at Charleston, last Sunday at the Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off event. The junior was 8-of-12 from the field and added five rebounds, three assists and three steals while matching a career high with four blocks.
In the season-opening 83-63 triumph over Valparaiso (Nov. 4), Cleveland had 13 points, seven rebounds, a game-high eight assists and two steals. Last Saturday versus Florida Atlantic, he contributed 11 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, a block and two steals.
Last season, Cleveland's teammate, Kyle Rode, was tabbed to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List (Jan. 12, 2024).
The Lou Henson Award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach, who won 775 games in 41 seasons. 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 winner will be announced in San Antonio, Texas, site of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Cleveland and Liberty (4-1) will be back in action on Friday in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Flames will face Louisiana (1-3) in their first game on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. Atlantic) at the St. Thomas and the University of Virgin Islands Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center. The game will air live on ESPN+.
The Lou Henson Award is given annually to the most outstanding mid-major men's college basketball player in NCAA Division I competition.
Cleveland is one of three Conference USA players on the 50-member watch list. Louisiana Tech's Daniel Batcho and Sam Houston's Lamar Wilkerson are the other two CUSA players on the list.
Cleveland, a native of Bloomington, Ill., is off to a strong start to his junior campaign. The forward is averaging 12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game through five games while shooting 59.5 percent from the field. Cleveland notched his sixth career 20-point game in Liberty's 68-47 road win at Charleston, last Sunday at the Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off event. The junior was 8-of-12 from the field and added five rebounds, three assists and three steals while matching a career high with four blocks.
In the season-opening 83-63 triumph over Valparaiso (Nov. 4), Cleveland had 13 points, seven rebounds, a game-high eight assists and two steals. Last Saturday versus Florida Atlantic, he contributed 11 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, a block and two steals.
Last season, Cleveland's teammate, Kyle Rode, was tabbed to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List (Jan. 12, 2024).
The Lou Henson Award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach, who won 775 games in 41 seasons. 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 winner will be announced in San Antonio, Texas, site of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Cleveland and Liberty (4-1) will be back in action on Friday in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Flames will face Louisiana (1-3) in their first game on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. Atlantic) at the St. Thomas and the University of Virgin Islands Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center. The game will air live on ESPN+.
Congrats to @Zachcleve33 on being named to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List!
— Liberty Men's Basketball (@LibertyMBB) November 20, 2024
??: https://t.co/vsFKyUgyoI pic.twitter.com/8OhGkEQruT
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