WASHINGTON

A pair of Canadians are in the running for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the NCAA's top point guard.

Brampton's Tyler Ennis and Holland Landing, Ont.'s Kevin Pangos were among the 23 nominees revealed Tuesday. The list, which originally contained 80 players, will be cut down to five next month and the winner announced on April 7, the day the NCAA title game will take place in Fort Worth, Tex.

Pangos, a junior at Gonzaga, made the final 23 for the second year in a row. He has averaged 15.2 points, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals a game for the 23-4 Bulldogs. Pangos needs 66 points to pass the school's most famous alumnus -- John Stockton -- for 20th in career school scoring.

Ennis has accomplished the rare feat of being on the watch list as a freshman. He has been nothing short of spectacular for the 25-0, No. 1-ranked Orange. Ennis has averaged 11.8 points and 5.6 assists.

He has a fan in Raptors point guard Greivis Vasquez, who won the Cousy Award in 2010, capping an excellent career at Maryland.

"I watched him the other day. I think that kid is a great player," Vasquez told the Toronot Sun on Tuesday before the Raptors-Wizards game.

"He plays like he's a senior in college. Understands the game, doesn't make mistakes, plays almost perfect. We've got to worry about him in the NBA as point guards," he said with a smile.

Vasquez said the Cousy Award is a big deal.

"It's the best point guard at the college level. If you get that award, that's saying that you did a bit of work for that season," he said.

"I value that a lot. It was a special day for me, a special award."

Vasquez said he saw Ennis play live as a high schooler nearly two years ago and: "I saw flashes of how good he was going to be."

Both Pangos and Ennis are considered important parts of Canada's national program.