BOSTON, Mass. - Oakland men's basketball forward Trey Townsend has been named to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List, announced today by CollegeInsider.com.
 
The award, which is given annually to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball, announced 40 players to its mid-season list and includes three Horizon League players. Along with Townsend is Rasheed Bello of Purdue Fort Wayne and Marques Warrick of Northern Kentucky.
 
Townsend, who is sixth in the Horizon League in average points per game (17.4) and third in points scored (314), has come down with four double-doubles this season and had three in a four-game span (CSU 12/28, YSU 12/31, GB 1/6). The Oxford, Mich., native set his career-high in assists with seven in a win over Power-Six team Xavier (W, 78-76) and matched it in a win over Youngstown State (W, 88-81).
 
The forward was most recently named Horizon League Player of the Week (Jan. 8) after he posted back-to-back games with 28 points and had 9.5 rebounds per game following wins over Milwaukee (W, 100-95) and Green Bay (W, 79-73). In the league, Townsend ranks fourth in rebounding with 7.7 per game and has brought down the second most in the conference (139).
 
Townsend has led the Golden Grizzlies in points in its last three games, all conference wins, and has been in the double figures for points in 10 straight games. The Golden Grizzlies hold a 7-4 record in games where Townsend is the team's leading scorer and eclipsed the 1500+ career point mark in its recent overtime win over Northern Kentucky. 
 
The award honors former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach Lou Henson who won 775 games in 41 seasons and is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. 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 2024 award will be announced in Phoenix, Ariz., site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.