LeVert Named To Watch List For 2016 Jerry West Award
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's basketball senior Caris LeVert was named today (Tuesday, Oct. 13) to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Jerry West Award watch list. The honor recognizes the top shooting guard in men's college basketball.
LeVert is one of three Big Ten players on the 20-member preseason list along with Indiana's James Blackmon and Maryland's Rasheed Sulaimon.
LeVert returns to Michigan for his final season after missing the final 14 games last season due to a foot injury and subsequent surgery. Before his injury, he was leading U-M in scoring (14.9), rebounds (4.9), assists (3.7), steals (1.7) and minutes (35.8). At the time, he was just one of six to lead their team in all of those categories and the only one from a Power 5 conference.
During his time at Michigan, LeVert has compiled a 75-33 career record. As a freshman, he helped U-M reach the Final Four and national title game. The following year, he guided the Wolverines to their first outright Big Ten title since 1986 as well as a second straight appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight.
LeVert needs just 177 points to become the 49th Wolverine to eclipse 1,000 career points.
A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. The list will be narrowed down to 10 in mid-February and five finalists in March. The 2016 recipient will be presented at the second annual ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from Club Nokia on Friday, April 8, in Los Angeles, California.
The award is named in honor of Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West. West attended the West Virginia 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.
2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List
Allonzo Trier, Arizona
Anthony Drmic, Boise State
Kellen Dunham, Butler
Jordan Matthews, California
Grayson Allen, Duke
Dwayne Bacon, Florida State
Marvell Harris, Fresno State
James Blackmon, Indiana
AJ English, Iona
Antonio Blakeney, Louisiana State
Rasheed Sulaimon, Maryland
Sheldon McClellan, Miami
Caris LeVert, Michigan
Malik Newman, Mississippi State
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island
Danuel House, Texas A&M
Melvin Johnson, Virginia Commonwealth
Malcom Brogdon, Virginia
Ron Baker, Wichita State
