BOSTON — Late Tuesday night, the annual Lou Henson Award watch list was announced, and there was a familiar face right in the middle of the list. Logan Johnson was added to this prestigious watch list, continuing to gain recognition for his outstanding play for Saint Mary's.
 
Johnson is in the midst of a fifth season that sees him averaging 10.4 points per game through the first five games of the year. He has seen his rebounding numbers take a huge leap, with 5.8 rebounds per game, ranking third on the team and most among guards. Johnson is also leading the Gaels in assists (17) and steals (7).
 
Widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the West Coast Conference, Johnson led the WCC with 67 steals last season, a mark that ranks second-best in Saint Mary's history for a single season. He earned Second Team All-WCC honors for his play last year, and was named to the Preseason All-WCC team before the start of his fifth year.
 
The award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.

Henson is the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 423 victories. During his 21 seasons (1975-1996), Henson led the Fighting Illini to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA tournaments and a Final Four appearance in 1989.

Henson, who is also the all-time winningest coach in New Mexico State history with 289 victories, is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Final Four. His teams have made 19 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances.
 
This marks the first time a Gael has been named to the Lou Henson Award watch list since Jordan Ford in 2019. No Gael has been on any watch list since Ford during his senior season.
 
Johnson is the only player from the West Coast Conference chosen to the watch list for the Lou Henson Award. SMC has seen two of the players this season on the list, with Max Abmas (Oral Roberts) and Aaron Estrada (Hofstra) also landing on the list.
 
The Gaels play in the Paycom Wooden Legacy on November 23-24, opening up the tournament against Vanderbilt at 9:00 pm on Wednesday night, televised on ESPN2. Saint Mary's will then play either Washington or Fresno State on Thanksgiving Day.