BOSTON, Mass. – Eastern Kentucky University junior forward Nick Mayo (pictured) was named to the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I mid-major player.
Mayo is one of only three Ohio Valley Conference student-athletes named to the list, joining Belmont guard Austin Luke and Murray State guard Jonathan Stark. The three are accompanied by players from the likes of St. Mary’s, Harvard, Princeton, South Dakota State and Florida Gulf Coast.
Mayo – a 6-9, 240-pound native of Oakland, Maine – is a two-time first team All-OVC performer. In 2016-17, he ranked among the OVC’s leaders in scoring (fifth / 18.5 points-per-game), rebounding (12th / 6.5 rebounds-per-game), assists (15th / 2.8 assists-per-game), blocks (third / 1.4 blocks-per-game), field goal percentage (12th / 50.4%), three-point field goal percentage (12th / 39.0%) and free throw percentage (14th / 77.4%).
Mayo enters his junior season on pace to become one of EKU’s all-time greats. Last year, he became the first Colonel ever to reach 1,000 career points as a sophomore.
His consistency and versatility are stunning. Mayo enters this season having scored in double figures in 34 consecutive games, dating back to his freshman campaign. At 6-9 and 240 pounds, he ranked in the top-15 in the OVC in assists last season (2.8 assists-per-game). He is also a career 43.1% three-point shooter (47-of-109).
Mayo was named to the 2017-18 Karl Malone Award Watch List in October, an award given annually to the nation’s top Division I power forward.
He was also voted Preseason All-OVC for the second consecutive year at the conference’s annual Media Day in October.
The award’s namesake, Lou Henson, coached college basketball for 41 years. When he left the game in 2005, he was sixth all-time in career Division I wins with 779. He is the winningest coach at both Illinois and New Mexico State. He is one of only 12 coaches in the history of the game to take two schools to the Final Four.
The recipient of the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com awards banquet on March 31 in San Antonio, Texas, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
Mayo and EKU open the season on Friday night at Rice. Tip is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
EKU Athletics Photo