RUSTON – Louisiana Tech's Isaiah Crawford was named one of 35 finalists for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award by CollegeInsider.com on Wednesday, an award presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
 
It adds to a growing list of honors for the fifth-year senior who has also been named CUSA Player of the Year, CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-CUSA, CUSA All-Defensive Team, and NABC First Team All-District.
 
Crawford lived up to the preseason hype going into the 2023-24 season, averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range. 
 
The Fort Worth, Texas native registered double-digit points in 27 of his 32 games including nine games of 20+ points, highlighted by a career-high 30 points at Jacksonville State.
 
The forward registered five double-doubles while averaging a career-best 6.2 rebounds per game.  He also ranked in the top three in CUSA and top 50 in the country in both steals per game (2.13) and blocks per game (1.77). 
 
He totaled 68 steals on the year, which ranks fourth in program history, while also amassing 55 blocks.  As a result, he became just the second player in school history and the third player in CUSA history to have 60+ steals and 50+ blocks in a single season.
 
The Lou Henson Award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.  Coach Henson is the winningest head coach in Illinois basketball history as well as the all-time winningest coach in NM State history.
 
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.
 
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2024 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award Finalists
 
Achor Achor, Samford
Robbie Avila, Indiana State
Jalen Blackmon, Stetson
Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky
Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech
Tucker DeVries, Drake
Terrence Edwards Jr., James Madison
Enrique Freeman, Akron
Kezza Giffa, High Point
Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon
Donovan Gregory, App State
Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Xaivian Lee, Princeton
Malik Mack, Harvard
Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary's
Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State
Riley Minix, Morehead State
Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Elijah Pepper, UC Davis
Caden Pierce, Princeton
Bryce Pope, San Diego
Noah Reynolds, Green Bay
Jordan Sears, UT Martin
Braeden Smith, Colgate
Reyne Smith, Charleston
Isaiah Swope, Indiana State
Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk State
Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
Trey Townsend, Oakland
Shahada Wells, McNeese
Danny Wolf, Yale
Lamar Wilkerson, Sam Houston
Vonterius Woolbright, Western Carolina