OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Gonzaga's
Josh Perkins was named one of 10 finalists for the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award Wednesday.
Ten men's basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court were selected as finalists for the award. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Perkins completed his degree in Sport Management and is currently pursuing his master's degree in Organizational Leadership in his final year of eligibility. Perkins finished his undergraduate career with an impressive 3.24 GPA and currently holds a 3.66 GPA in his graduate program. In each of the last two years, the Park Hill, Colo., native has received West Coast Conference All-Academic team recognition. He also earned his way onto the WCC Commissioner's Honor roll list the past three years.
Since his freshman season, Perkins has been actively involved in all team community outreach activities and helping to get his teammates involved in the Spokane area. He has participated in Habitat for Humanity building houses, visited the local VA Hospital and spent time with veterans, and served multiple meals at the local Union Gospel Mission. In addition to these opportunities, Perkins has spent a day each summer at Camp Goodtimes, a camp for children diagnosed with cancer, brightening the lives of those going through tough times. This past summer, he was given an honorary Camp Counselor t-shirt and his own nick-name—a true sign of admiration from the camp from his impact on the children over the past several years while at Gonzaga.
On the court, Perkins was just named one of 10 candidates for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year. He is sixth in the country with 154 assists so far this season. He is averaging 6.7 assists per game, which ranks ninth in the country. The redshirt senior leads the West Coast Conference in both of those categories, along with assist-to-turnover ratio (3.50). His 632 career assists are the third-most amongst active players in the country. Perkins boasts a 122-17 record in games he has played in as a Zag, including a remarkable 29-1 record in conference road games. He is eight assists from 640 in his career, which would move him to second on the program's all-time list.
The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 men's candidates earlier in the season. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 25. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award recipients will be announced during the 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four®.
2018-19 Senior CLASS Award Men's Finalists
Clayton Custer, Loyola-Chicago
Mike Daum, South Dakota State
Jon Elmore, Marshall
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Luke Maye, North Carolina
Drew McDonald, Northern Kentucky
Josh Perkins, Gonzaga
Reid Travis, Kentucky
Dylan Windler, Belmont
Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra
