SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Gonzaga men's basketball's
Zach Norvell Jr. was named one of 20 candidates for the 2019 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Norvell Jr. was named the West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year last season. He averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The redshirt sophomore appeared in all 37 games for the Zags and started 29 in 2017-18. He earned his first collegiate double-double with 28 points and 12 rebounds, both career-bests, against Ohio State in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Chicago native scored at least 20 points in five games last season, including in each of his first three collegiate starts.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. West and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Jerry West Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles on April 12, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award.
On Monday,
Josh Perkins, was named one of 20 for the 2019 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year watch list, also by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Carsen Edwards, Purdue (2018), Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017), Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).
Gonzaga's exhibition against Central Washington is scheduled for 6 p.m., on Nov. 1. The first regular season game kicks off three consecutive home games and is on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., against Idaho State.
2019 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Candidates
| Bryce Brown |
Auburn |
| Jarron Cumberland |
Cincinnati |
| Kellan Grady |
Davidson |
| RJ Barrett |
Duke |
| KeVaughn Allen |
Florida |
| Zach Norvell Jr. |
Gonzaga |
| Justin Wright-Foreman |
Hofstra |
| Romeo Langford |
Indiana |
| Quentin Grimes |
Kansas |
| Barry Brown |
Kansas St. |
| Tyler Herro |
Kentucky |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon |
Mississippi St. |
| James Palmer Jr. |
Nebraska |
| T.J. Gibbs |
Notre Dame |
| Mustapha Heron |
St. John's |
| Tyus Battle |
Syracuse |
| Jarrett Culver |
Texas Tech |
| Kyle Guy |
Virginia |
| Jaylen Nowell |
Washington |
| Fletcher Magee |
Wofford |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
