NCAA Basketball: Ranking top 20 players for 2023-24 Jerry West Award

15. JaKobe Walter – Baylor Bears

2022-23 season stats: N/A

Walter is the other five-star shooting guard in the 2023 class, ranked in the top 20 overall. He’s known for his scoring ability and joins a Baylor squad that lost three different 15 ppg scorers. If Walter can come in and be the focal point of the offense, he’ll likely be in the mix here. Or he can just be an effective role player in his first year.

14. Fletcher Loyer – Purdue Boilermakers

2022-23 season stats: 11.0 ppg and 2.4 apg

Loyer proved to be an effective scorer in his first year at Purdue, including three 20+ point games. On a preseason top-3 team, the 6’4 guard will be in the mix for the Jerry West Award simply by team accomplishments. But he’ll have to be much more efficient and consistent (37% from the field last season) this year.

13. Johnell Davis – Florida Atlantic Owls

2022-23 season stats: 13.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg

Not only was Davis the leading scorer on the 35-win Owls last season but he also was the Conference USA 6th Man of the Year. The 6’4 guard had a number of big scoring outings and if FAU dominates the AAC this year, Davis will be in the mix. But remember, the Owls are one of the more balanced offensives in NCAA Basketball and if that remains, the stats won’t be there for him to have a real shot.