Haws named a finalist for the Senior CLASS award

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – BYU senior guard Tyler Haws is one of 10 men’s basketball student-athletes selected as finalists today for the 2014-15 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate basketball. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. See complete list of finalists below.

Haws is currently second in the nation in scoring at 22.5 points per game and is 70 points from passing 2011 Senior CLASS winner Jimmer Fredette as BYU’s all-time leading scorer. The Alpine, Utah, native and business major is also very active in community service, having served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines and regularly speaking at schools and to youth groups about making positive choices, saying no to drugs and setting and achieving goals.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. 

The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 men’s candidates and 30 women’s candidates announced in October. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 23. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award recipients will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Men’s Final Four® and NCAA Women’s Final Four®. 

For more information on each of the finalists, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

HAWS' SENIOR CLASS AWARD BIO

Classroom
Tyler Haws is a business major in the BYU Marriott School, a program consistently ranked among the top 20 business programs in the country. As a freshman, Haws earned Academic All-MWC honors, and the past two seasons he has been named to the WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Character
Haws is a student-athlete who displays high character. Through his dedication to his team and his hard work, his coaches have named him a team captain each of the last three seasons. His example on and off the court is one that other student-athletes strive to emulate. Haws has also demonstrated his character through his commitment to his church. Following his freshman year, he chose to give up two years to serve a mission in the Philippines.

Community
In addition to his leadership on the court, Haws has proven to be a leader in the community, serving as a role model for young fans. Along with his coaches and teammates, he has participated each year in the annual Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation, an organization that provides relief for families that have children with cancer. Following his freshman year, Haws served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines. While there he taught families and individuals (in fluent Tagalog) principles that would help improve their lives while also providing service to those in need. Following the tsunami in 2013 in the Philippines, Haws made a YouTube video to encourage others to donate to the relief efforts. Since returning from his mission in 2012, Haws has continued to live a life of service and use his role as a student-athlete in a high-profile sport to make a difference in the lives of others. He regularly speaks at schools and to church youth groups throughout the area about making positive choices, saying no to drugs and doing the right thing. He traveled as far as Idaho, California and Washington to speak to youth groups during the summers. Haws has volunteered his time visiting a school for handicapped children and spent time teaching them about the game of basketball. He also has visited children with cancer and disabilities in their homes and schools.

Competition
Haws has enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in BYU basketball history. He is currently on track to become the program’s all-time leading scorer as he is third behind Cougar greats Jimmer Fredette and Danny Ainge. As a sophomore, Haws was named First-Team All-WCC and First-Team All-District while averaging 21.7 points per game, first in the WCC and 7th in the NCAA. As a junior, Haws was even better, averaging 23.2 points to repeat as the WCC’s leading scorer and finish 6th in the NCAA. He was named the WCC Player of the Year and earned All-District and AP Honorable Mention All-America honors. This season, Haws is currently second in the nation and first in the WCC at 22.5 points per game. He earned several preseason All-WCC and All-America honors and is currently a candidate for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy. In addition to being on track to finish first in school history in career points, he is the NCAA’s active career scoring leader. Haws also holds the BYU records for career 20-point games, free throws made, free throw percentage and career starts and is on pace to set the records for minutes played and games scoring in double figures and among the top 10 in field goals made and 3-point field goals made.

SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALISTS