Jerry West Award finalists have been announced, and it's not much of a race

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame revealed 10 finalists for the 2025 Jerry West Award, given to Division I men’s college basketball's best shooting guard. It's a notably strong list, including last year's winner, RJ Davis of North Carolina.

From Davis to his ex-running mate/Arizona's Caleb Love, Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois and Wake Forest standout Hunter Sallis, among others, it's a stacked group. However, no candidate is more qualified than Memphis Tigers sophomore PJ Haggerty.

Jerry West Award finalists have been announced, and it's not much of a race

Haggerty has been the focal point of No. 17 Memphis' sneakily stellar 2024-25 campaign. His decision to transfer from Tulsa has paid immediate dividends for him and the Tigers, considering he's burst onto the scene.

Averaging 21.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game on outstanding .505/.415/.806 shooting splits, Haggerty has been exceptional this season. He's fourth in the nation in scoring and free throws made (145), highlighting his status as a one-man offensive wrecking crew.

Not only has Haggerty been operating at a high level, but he's always on the floor. His 36.5 minutes per contest paces the AAC. Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway's willingness to keep him on the court speaks to how valuable the former conference All-Freshman is to their operation.

As the focal point of Memphis' ascending program, Haggerty is separating himself from the rest of the pack. He's stuffing the stat sheet hyper-efficiently, and it's translating to winning. Meanwhile, the same can't be said for some of his peers.

For example, Love is enjoying another strong statistical season. Yet, he's shooting sub-40 percent from the field and converting from beyond the arc at a 32.6 percent rate. Moreover, despite bouncing back nicely following a 4-4 start, the Wildcats have already amassed six losses.

Conversely, Jakucionis has been similarly productive as Haggerty, but Illinois is 15-7 and tumbling down the AP Top 25 ranks. Notably, he's the only nominee currently averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. The Fighting Illini freshman has constantly showcased his versatility. But at some point, team results matter and weigh into the results.