Jerry West award finalists: Full list of shooting guards selected ft. Caleb Love, Kevin McCullar Jr., and more
The Jerry West award, presented to the top shooting guard in college basketball annually, has announced a new round of finalists. The list includes one candidate from each of the five major power conferences. A season ago, Houston's Marcus Sasser claimed the prize.
That said, here's the rundown on the current finalists.
Jerry West Award Finalists
Caleb Love, Arizona
A senior guard, Love transferred to Arizona after three seasons at North Carolina. He has excelled, scoring 19.4 points per game, connecting on 80 3-point shots and shooting 86.7% at the foul line. With Love at the helm, Arizona has posted a 23-6 season and is ranked fifth nationally.
Kevin McCullar, Kansas
McCullar has led Kansas to an excellent season. While he has been slowed by injuries, he's still averaging 19.1 ppg. McCullar has scored 1,517 career points between three years at Texas Tech and two at Kansas. While Kansas has tumbled to 14th in the most recent poll, McCullar has been an electifying scorer and one of the most complete guards college basketball has seen.
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Davis is completing a memorable four seasons at North Carolina and has made amazing strides this year. Scoring 21.5 points per game, Davis has an excellent case as college basketball's player of the year. With 96 3-point makes and an 88.6% rate at the foul line, Davis has been an elite shooter. His 1,948 career points at Carolina are amazing.
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky
Reeves returned to Kentucky for a second season after a disappointing NCAA Tournament last year. He has been astonishingly consistent for the Wildcats, scoring 20.0 ppg, shooting 44.2% from 3-point range and 87.6% from the foul line. Reeves and Tennessee's Dalton Knecht are the top two guards in the SEC, but Reeves' selection for the Jerry West award might give him the upper hand.
Tyson Walker, Michigan State
Walker is another fifth-year guy, one who started his career at Northeastern. He has 1,983 total college points, but over 1,300 have come at Michigan State. Walker has scored 18.0 ppg this year. He's connecting on 37.2% of his 3-point tries but is one of the most versatile college basketball scoring guards. Walker fits the Tom Izzo prototype for talented guards who shine in March.
About the Jerry West Award
Named after college basketball and NBA legend Jerry West and awarded by the Basketball Hall of Fame, the award seeks to honor the nation's top college basketball shooting guard. The award has been presented since 2015 and past Jerry West Award winners include D'Angelo Russell (the first winner), Buddy Hield, Malik Monk and RJ Barrett.