Long Beach State junior Casper Ware is one of 20 finalists for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award, which goes annually to the player selected as the best point guard in college.

Other candidates from the west are Jimmer Fredette (BYU), D.J. Gay (San Diego State), Mickey McConnell (Saint Mary's) and Isaiah Thomas (Washington).

Ware took season averages of 14.8 points, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game into the 49ers' Big West Conference game against UC Davis late Wednesday.