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Courtesy UM
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami senior shooting guard Sheldon McClellan has been named a finalist for the 2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award,the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
He is one of 10 total players, including one of three ACC players, on the list.
McClellan has posted the 12th-best shooting percentage (51.7%) in the country among guards, and has the top shooting percentage among guards in the ACC, according to stats on NCAA.org on Jan. 31. McClellan’s 2-point shooting percentage is 61.0 percent this season.
The native of Houston has posted a true shooting percentage of 61.0 percent, good for 26th in the country, and has the 27th-best offensive rating in the country, according to KenPom.com.
McClellan is ninth in the ACC in scoring in league games (17.8), fifth in free throw percentage and ninth in steals. He has scored 20+ points in five outings and 14+ points in 16 games. He has scored 13+ in every ACC game, and 20+ in three league outings.
McClellan is also currently on two other national player of the year watch lists: Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year and the Oscar Robertson Trophy for the Men's National Player of the Year.
Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its second 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 in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
“Jerry West is a basketball icon,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “As one of the best jump shooters to play the game, Jerry West’s drive for perfection is what set him apart. It’s that type of drive that will be required to take home this award in this year’s highly competitive field.”
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, West was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and in 1979 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. West and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the 2016 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. 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. For more information on the 2016 Jerry West Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.