University of Massachusets Athletics
Marcus Banks Jr., Named To Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List
December 19, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Banks Jr., is among the leading scorers and three-point shooters in the MAC
BOSTON, Mass. -- Graduate student guard Marcus Banks Jr., has been named to the Early Season Watch List for the 2025-26 Lou Henson Award, CollegeInsider.com has announced. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top player in Division I college basketball.
Banks Jr., has led the Minutemen to an 8-3 start to the season, averaging 18.4 points per game. He is shooting 45.4% from the floor, including a 40.2% mark from three, and is 25-for-30 from the free throw line. Recently named the league's Player of the Week and the Lou Henson National Player of the Week (Dec. 15), Banks Jr., leads the MAC in three pointers made (39), three pointers per game (3.55) and three-point attempts (97) while checking in at fourth in three-point field goal percentage (40.2). He also ranks fourth in the league in points per game (18.4) and first in field goal attempts (152). He has delivered several standout performances, including a season-high 29 points in a dramatic 76-74 win over Boston College in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.
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. The 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the 2026 NCAA Men's Final Four.
Carrying a five-game winning streak, Banks Jr., and the Minutemen return to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, when they face Kent State in their MAC opener (ESPN+). Tickets for the game at the Mullins Center are available here.
Banks Jr., has led the Minutemen to an 8-3 start to the season, averaging 18.4 points per game. He is shooting 45.4% from the floor, including a 40.2% mark from three, and is 25-for-30 from the free throw line. Recently named the league's Player of the Week and the Lou Henson National Player of the Week (Dec. 15), Banks Jr., leads the MAC in three pointers made (39), three pointers per game (3.55) and three-point attempts (97) while checking in at fourth in three-point field goal percentage (40.2). He also ranks fourth in the league in points per game (18.4) and first in field goal attempts (152). He has delivered several standout performances, including a season-high 29 points in a dramatic 76-74 win over Boston College in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.
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. The 2026 award will be announced in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the 2026 NCAA Men's Final Four.
Carrying a five-game winning streak, Banks Jr., and the Minutemen return to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, when they face Kent State in their MAC opener (ESPN+). Tickets for the game at the Mullins Center are available here.
-- UMassAthletics.com --
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