For the third consecutive year, Mustapha Heron has earned a spot on the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award, which recognizes the top shooting guard in college basketball.
One of 20 players nationwide put on the preseason watch list for the award presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Heron is the leading returning scorer from a St. John’s team that won 21 games and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Waterbury, Conn., native averaged 14.6 points per outing, good enough for 13th in the BIG EAST, and pulled down 4.6 points per game. He led the team and ranked seventh in the conference in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down 40.3 percent of his chances from downtown.
Heron, who was also tabbed to Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team last week, scored in double figures 23 times in 31 appearances with six showings of 20 points or better. He was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Feb. 18 after scoring a season-high 28 points in an overtime win against Butler before scoring 19 points in the Red Storm’s victory over defending national champion Villanova inside Madison Square Garden.
A two-year star at Auburn before transferring to St. John’s, Heron was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2017-18 and eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark in just two seasons with the Tigers.
The preseason watch list of 20 names will be trimmed to 10 by mid-February. Five finalists will then be chosen in March before the winner is announced at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles on Friday, April 10.
Heron is one of four BIG EAST players to find their name on the preseason watch list alongside Butler’s Kamar Baldwin, Creighton’s Ty-Shon Alexander and Seton Hall’s Myles Powell.
Heron and the Red Storm will kick off their first season under the direction of Head Coach Mike Anderson on Nov. 6, welcoming Mercer to Carnesecca Arena for a 6:30 p.m. tilt on FS1. The Red Storm will open the season with five straight games in Queens before traveling to Mohegan Sun for an NCAA Tournament rematch with Arizona State on Nov. 23.
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 |
For more information on St. John’s University Men’s Basketball as well as the Athletics Department fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here:
https://redstormsports.com/index.aspx
For more information on the Jerry West Award fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: