Brad Underwood Richmond Family Endowed Men’s Head Basketball Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Brad Underwood Richmond Family Endowed Men’s Head Basketball Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Fighting Illini senior Kylan Boswell has been named as one of 20 candidates on the watch list for the 2026 Jerry West Award, according to an announcement from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The award recognizes the top shooting guard in Division I men's college basketball.
Boswell, who started 34 games last season for Illinois, averaged 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He reached double figures in scoring in 24 games and had strong performances late in the season, including a 23-point, six-assist effort against Kentucky in the NCAA Second Round and a career-high 24 points with seven assists during a Big Ten Tournament win over Iowa.
The Jerry West Award is now in its twelfth year and is named after Hall of Famer Jerry West, who was also named Most Valuable Player at the 1959 NCAA Final Four.
This year's watch list includes players such as Brayden Burries (Arizona), Richie Saunders (BYU), Josh Dix (Creighton), Isaiah Evans (Duke), Xaivian Lee (Florida), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), PJ Haggerty (Kansas State), Otega Oweh (Kentucky), Ryan Conwell (Louisville), Seth Trimble (North Carolina), Anthony Roy (Oklahoma State), Jason Edwards (Providence), Ian Jackson (St. John's), Solo Ball (UConn), Rodney Rice (USC), Mason Falslev (Utah State), Malik Thomas (Virginia), Wesley Yates III (Washington) and John Blackwell (Wisconsin). Players can be added or removed from the list throughout the season.
In addition to the men's award, the Hall of Fame also announced candidates for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for top women's shooting guard in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Fan voting will begin on Friday, October 31. The candidate lists will be narrowed to ten players in January and then to five in February. In March, finalists will be presented to selection committees that include media members, coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. Winners will be announced along with other position awards at a date yet to be determined.
Previous recipients of the Jerry West Award include Chaz Lanier of Tennessee in 2025 and RJ Davis of North Carolina in 2024. Past winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award include JuJu Watkins from USC for 2024-25.
More details about both awards are available at hoophallawards.com.
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