SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- University of Houston senior guard Rob Gray continued to receive preseason honors Tuesday when he was named to the Watch List for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Gray was one of 20 guards to be selected nationally by a national committee of top college basketball personnel.
Earlier this week, Gray was named to the Preseason All-American Athletic Conference First Team. In 2016-17, Gray led the Cougars and the American Athletic Conference with 20.6 points per game, becoming Houston’s eighth conference scoring champion in school history and the first since Aubrey Coleman led the nation in 2010.
“Jerry West is one of the best shooting guards to ever play the game and by far one of the most competitive personalities in the game as well,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “These twenty collegiate athletes have worked tirelessly to earn their spots on this watch list and have shown similar work ethics and skills as the esteemed Jerry West.”
Jerry West attended West Virginia University and averaged 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game in his three varsity seasons. He led his team to the NCAA Championship game in 1959 and was named a consensus All-American in 1959 and 1960. In the summer of 1960, he was co-captain of the U.S. men’s basketball team and won an Olympic gold medal. As a professional player, West played 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers making the All-NBA First Team 10 times. West won an NBA championship in 1972 and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite his team not winning the championship. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50
th Anniversary All-Time Team.
“Now in its fourth year, this award’s committee continually compiles a list of the best shooting guards in collegiate basketball,” said Jerry West, a 1979 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “It is truly an honor be associated with this award and I am looking forward to seeing the level of competitiveness and talent each of these candidates exhibits this upcoming season.”
Gray was named to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team and was selected to the USBWA All-District VII Team and the NABC All-District 25 Second Team. Additionally, Gray earned a spot on the Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament Team after leading Houston to its first regular-season tournament title since 1991 and was a two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Week selection.
Gray became the 46th player in school history to score more than 1,000 points during his Cougar career and was the 12th-fastest player to reach that milestone.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. West and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Jerry West Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 6, 2018. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
2018 Jerry West Award Watch List
| Allonzo Trier |
Arizona |
| Mustapha Heron |
Auburn |
| Jerome Robinson |
Boston College |
| TJ Haws |
BYU |
| Marcus Foster |
Creighton |
| Grayson Allen |
Duke |
| KeVaughn Allen |
Florida |
| MJ Walker |
Florida State |
| Rob Gray |
Houston |
| Malik Newman |
Kansas |
| Hamidou Diallo |
Kentucky |
| Lonnie Walker |
Miami |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon |
Mississippi St. |
| E.C. Matthews |
Rhode Island |
| Khadeen Carrington |
Seton Hall |
| Shamorie Ponds |
St. John's |
| Tyus Battle |
Syracuse |
| Andrew Jones |
Texas |
| De'Anthony Melton |
USC |
| Daxter Miles Jr. |
West Virginia |