Texas Tech University Athletics
Culver Chosen for Jerry West Award Top-10
February 05, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Jarrett Culver was recognized by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Tuesday when it announced 10 candidates for the 2019 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
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The Texas Tech sophomore is averaging 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists and has scored in double-figures in 22 of 23 games for the No. 18-ranked Red Raiders who improved to 18-5 on the season with an 81-50 win over West Virginia on Monday. A Lubbock native, he had a career-high 30 points in a win over Abilene Christian and also recorded 25 points and six rebounds against Duke. He's currently in the top-5 of 10 statistical categories in the Big 12 and is averaging 16.0 points and 8.2 rebounds through 10 conference games. Culver, who is shooting 50.7 percent for the season, is also on the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Watch List, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Lute Olson Award watch lists, was named to the Sporting News Midseason All-America second-team and earned Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention honors.Â
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Culver is joined on the list by Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati), RJ Barrett (Duke), Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra), Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State), Tyus Battle (Syracuse), Phil Booth (Villanova), Kyle Guy (Virginia), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Virginia Tech) and Jaylen Nowell (Washington). Named after Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.Â
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"The Naismith Starting 5 represents our five positional awards and serves as a tie between the best in college game today and the Hall of Famers who have paved the way," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "To be named to the top ten for any positional award is an immense honor and we look forward to the unique insights of Jerry West as a player, coach and executive as we trim this list further next month."
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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 College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and sponsored by Eaton Ephesus Lighting 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. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.
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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).
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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 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
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For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Jerry West Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #WestAward on Twitter and Instagram.
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2019 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award CandidatesÂ
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*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
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The Texas Tech sophomore is averaging 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists and has scored in double-figures in 22 of 23 games for the No. 18-ranked Red Raiders who improved to 18-5 on the season with an 81-50 win over West Virginia on Monday. A Lubbock native, he had a career-high 30 points in a win over Abilene Christian and also recorded 25 points and six rebounds against Duke. He's currently in the top-5 of 10 statistical categories in the Big 12 and is averaging 16.0 points and 8.2 rebounds through 10 conference games. Culver, who is shooting 50.7 percent for the season, is also on the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Watch List, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Lute Olson Award watch lists, was named to the Sporting News Midseason All-America second-team and earned Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention honors.Â
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Culver is joined on the list by Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati), RJ Barrett (Duke), Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra), Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State), Tyus Battle (Syracuse), Phil Booth (Villanova), Kyle Guy (Virginia), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Virginia Tech) and Jaylen Nowell (Washington). Named after Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men's college basketball.Â
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"The Naismith Starting 5 represents our five positional awards and serves as a tie between the best in college game today and the Hall of Famers who have paved the way," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "To be named to the top ten for any positional award is an immense honor and we look forward to the unique insights of Jerry West as a player, coach and executive as we trim this list further next month."
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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 College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and sponsored by Eaton Ephesus Lighting 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. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.
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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).
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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 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
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For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Jerry West Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #WestAward on Twitter and Instagram.
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2019 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award CandidatesÂ
| Jarron Cumberland | Cincinnati |
| RJ Barrett | Duke |
| Justin Wright-Foreman | Hofstra |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon | Mississippi St. |
| Tyus Battle | Syracuse |
| Jarrett Culver | Texas Tech |
| Phil Booth | Villanova |
| Kyle Guy | Virginia |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Virginia Tech |
| Jaylen Nowell | Washington |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
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Players Mentioned
Guard
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