UL’s JaKeenan Gant Named To Lou Henson Award Watch List

A member of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns has been named to a watch list for a prestigious college basketball award.

The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major player in Division I College Basketball.

A preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection, Gant is averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game and 7.2 rebounds through the first six games through the 2018-2019 season.

A native of Springfield, Ga., Gant played the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Missouri, before transferring to UL.

Last season, his first in a Cajun uniform, Gant averaged 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, while being named the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year, as well as the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

For his efforts, Gant was also named 2018 Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference and 2018 Third-Team All-Louisiana

Gant is one of four Sun Belt Conference players named to the list, joining Tookie Brown of Georgia Southern, D’Marcus Simonds of Georgia State and Jordan Varnado of Troy.

The 2019 Lou Henson Award will be presented at the College Insider awards event in April at the site of the men’s Division I national championship in Minneapolis.