Lawson holds tight to Cousy award

DETROIT -- All eyes were on point guard Ty Lawson's grasp on the Cousy trophy Monday morning when he accepted the award for the nation's best point guard.

After all, coach Roy Williams didn't want him to handle it quite the same way as UNC point guard Raymond Felton did in 2005.

"They handed the award to Raymond, and Raymond grasped the award in a very casual manner without realizing how heavy it was,'' Williams said Monday. "He almost dropped the award and threw his back out, and for two hours during that day I had a massage therapist working on Raymond so he could play in the national championship game that night.

"So I have coached Tywon, so he will have his feet spread, his weight distributed on the balls of his feet, and when he's handed the award -- he'll show you that part of leadership is taking coaching."

Lawson, wearing a dress shoe on his left foot and a protective shoe to cover his still healing right jammed toe on the other, accepted the trophy without incident, after thanking his family, friends, teammates and Cousy. UNC plays Michigan State for the national title tonight.

Said Williams: "I just want everyone to know that the player who is receiving the Bob Cousy award today truly is a leader, truly is a point guard, truly is a young man who makes everyone better around him. And I'm honored to have Ty Lawson as one of my players. ... I affectionately call him 'Dennis the Menace,' because he is that. But this year, he's turned another page and gotten so much tougher and become such a leader that the last month, I've called him 'Rambo.'"

-- Robbi Pickeral

-- Photo by Robert Willett