This is a watch list you want to be on.

Sacramento State sophomore Dylan Garrity is one of 68 candidates on the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's watch list for the 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award.

Garrity has been the floor leader for the Hornets since his first game as a freshman last season. He's averaging 13.1 points, 5.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals, and he has helped the Hornets (6-3) get off to their best start since the 2005-06 season.

The list will be narrowed to 20 next week, 10 on Feb. 1 and five on March 1, with the winner announced on April 8, the day of the NCAA men's championship game in Atlanta. The selection committee consists of head coaches, sports information directors, journalists and Hall of Famers.

"It's a really good feeling to know I'm a candidate among a great list of point guards," Garrity said. "I've put in a lot of hard work over the years, and people are starting to notice. However, none of this is possible without my teammates. Being a point guard, you need teammates that work hard, can score and buy into what we are trying to accomplish as a team."

Garrity, from Huntington Beach, is shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from beyond the three-point line and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line. His turnover-to-assist ratio of 3.6-to-1 is 12th best in the nation.

Garrity is in the Big Sky Conference top 10 in eight statistical categories. He was the Big Sky Freshman of the Year and was named a Mid-Major Freshman All-American after last season.

Though he had just four points in Wednesday's 62-57 Big Sky-opening victory over Montana State, he had five assists and five rebounds. The Hornets play Montana, the defending Big Sky regular-season and tournament champion, tonight at the Nest.

A deluge – Sac State coach Brian Katz was soaking wet as he walked into the media interview room following the victory over Montana State after he was given a celebratory Gatorade shower. It was a curious display of emotion for a team that has 19 games left in the Big Sky season.

"Winning is always fun, and we tell the guys to enjoy it and to enjoy themselves," Katz said unapologetically.

How will the Hornets top themselves if they win the conference title?

"They can cut my arm off for all I care if we win the Big Sky," Katz said.

Tournament time at USC – The UC Davis women travel to USC for a 5 p.m. game today against the Trojans and a 2:30 p.m. game Saturday against Cal State Bakersfield in the Women of Troy Classic. No. 4 Duke is the other team in the tournament.

Sophomore forward Sydnee Fipps has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games for the Aggies.

Big blocker – Sac State senior Megan Kritscher leads the NCAA with 4.75 blocked shots per game. She recently had eight blocks in a 72-67 loss to Eastern Illinois and six in a 75-57 loss to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Kritscher, a 6-foot-4 forward from Woodland, has at least three blocks in every game but one this season.

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