With the college basketball regular season nearing its conclusion, it is time to start considering which players are deserving of the biggest awards in the game. Last week we broke down the players to watch for the Wooden Award, given annually to the best player in college basketball. Now, it is time to examine the favorites for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Position Awards.

First is the the Bob Cousy Award — given to the point guard of the year. Among the 10 finalists is Northwestern standout Boo Buie, who electrified fans with a memorable performance in an upset win over Purdue earlier in the season. Buie is a strong candidate to win the award, but which other point guards could follow in the footsteps of Markquis Nowell and Collin Gillespie?

Northwestern basketball, Wildcats, Chicago State, Chris Collins, Boo Buie, Boo Buie in Northwestern uni with Northwestern basketball arena in the background

Boo Buie (Northwestern)

Improvement throughout the season is always great for a player as it shows that as the games get tougher, they play their best ball. Boo Buie is a perfect example, averaging 20.6 PPG and 6.3 APG in Big Ten play — four more PPG and 1.4 more APG than in non-con play. The Northwestern point guard is also shooting 46.5% from deep during the conference slate, hitting a career-best seven shots from deep in a tough loss at Purdue at the end of January.

Buie has at least 15 points in all but one Big Ten game, a testament to his consistency as a scorer, and has also improved as a passer this year. He is averaging one more assist per game this year while keeping his turnover numbers constant and also recorded the first double-double of his career with 19 points and 10 assists in a win over Michigan State on January 9. Buie's all-around offensive ability makes him a frontrunner for the Bob Cousy Award.

Tyler Kolek (Marquette)

A true calling card for a player's ability is how they affect a game even when they are not scoring. Tyler Kolek — one of the country's best point guards— has proven himself to be an invaluable distributor even when the shots are not falling. In his three worst games in terms of scoring, Kolek still averaged 8.3 assists/game.

After a midseason stretch that saw him shoot just 3-20 from three-point range over a five-game stretch (including a combined seven points in losses to Seton Hall and Butler), Tyler Kolek's recent turnaround shows why he was the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. Kolek had 32 points with nine assists and five made threes against Villanova on January 30 then recorded his fifth double-double of the year with 27 points and a season-high 13 assists in a win over St. John's on February 10.

Kolek has improved in every statistical category from last year — even posting a better offensive efficiency despite a higher usage rate. His ability to impact the game in various ways makes him a strong contender for the Bob Cousy Award.

Jamal Shead (Houston)

Jamal Shead's offensive numbers do not jump off the page (12.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.8 APG) like the other contenders on this list, but few players in college basketball have as much impact on both sides of the ball as Shead does. Shead anchors the best defense in the country at Houston (a full four points better per 100 possessions than any other team), posting 2.1 steals per game while leading the nation in Defensive Box Plus-Minus.

It is difficult to calculate Shead's defense prowess. Still, college basketball analytics site EvanMiya rates Shead as the third-best player in the country only trailing Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan. With the best assist-turnover ratio of any Cousy Award finalist, Shead's talent shows up in the underlying stats rather than the big plays.