Newman Named To Jerry West Watch List
October 15, 2015 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Malik Newman signed with Mississippi State following a stellar prep career that saw him earn McDonald's All-American honors and other various accolades.
Now, one of the nation's top players coming out of high school has earned another award before even playing in his first collegiate game.
Newman, a 6-foot-3 guard from Jackson, is one of 20 players named to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced.
“I'm blessed to be able to be on the Jerry West watch list with some other great players,” Newman said.
Jerry West attended the West Virginia University and averaged 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game in his three 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 fourteen 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.
“It is such an honor be associated with this award,” said West, a 1979 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The 20 shooting guards on this list have undoubtedly put in tremendous effort. I'm looking forward to a great season of competition as we narrow our pool of candidates.”
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2016 Jerry West Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show live from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 8, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Last season, D'Angelo Russell of Ohio State was named the inaugural winner of the 2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Newman is one of three SEC players to make the list, joining LSU's Antonio Blakeney and Danuel House of Texas A&M.
Newman led Callaway to four Class 5A state titles and was a two-time Mr. Basketball in the state of Mississippi. He finished his heralded career by totaling 3,108 points, 651 rebounds, 301 assists and 195 steals.
As a senior, he averaged 29.7 points and 5.7 rebounds after scoring 27 points in the title game against Ridgeland.
2015-16 Jerry West 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
