Cincinnati Bearcats senior guard is racking up the preseason accolades as he’s been selected to the Jerry West Award Watch List today. Cumberland was a semifinalist last season.
Congrats to Jarron!
Per GoBearcats:
University of Cincinnati junior guard Jarron Cumberland (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington HS) was named Tuesday to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year preseason watch list by the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
The honor comes a day after Cumberland was tabbed the American Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year at league media days in Philadelphia.
Named after 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determine the watch list of 20 candidates.
New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. West and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Jerry West Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five.
Cumberland was named a semifinalist for the award last season as one of 10 players considered for the accolade. The Associated Press honorable mention All-American helped the Bearcats to a 28-7 overall record, second-place conference finish, the AAC Tournament title and their ninth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
Cumberland claimed AAC Player of the Year and American Championship Most Outstanding Player accolades in 2018-19 and serves at the league’s top returning scorer for 2019-20. He averaging 18.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.5 minutes in 35 games last season. He averaged 23.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists during the AAC Tournament and set the tournament’s championship game record, scoring 33 points on 11-of-24 shooting with eight rebounds against No. 11 Houston.
Cumberland ranked among AAC leaders in eight categories in 2018-19: points (third at 18.8), three-point field goal percentage (seventh at .388), three-point field goals made (seventh at 2.3), free throw percentage (10th at .773), assists (11th at 3.6), assist-to-turnover ratio (13th at 1.3), minutes played (14th at 32.5) and steals (15th at 1.1).
Cumberland scored 657 points during 2018-19, the 10th most points scored in a season in school history while becoming the 53rd member of Cincinnati’s 1,000-point club. He enters 2019-20 ranked 20th on the all-time scoring list with 1,363 career points.
// 2020 JERRY WEST SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR AWARD CANDIDATES
Isaiah Joe, Arkansas
Kamar Baldwin, Butler
Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati
Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton
Kellan Grady, Davidson
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Joe Wieskamp, Iowa
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Skylar Mays, LSU
Joshua Langford, Michigan State
Temple ‘T.J.’ Gibbs, Notre Dame
Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
Myles Powell, Seton Hall
A.J. Lawson, South Carolina
Mustapha Heron, St. John’s
Desmond Bane, TCU
Jordan Bowden, Tennessee
Sam Merrill, Utah State
