Jerry West Award Watch List 2016: Full List Released

With the 2015-16 college basketball season on the horizon, the preseason awards watch lists are coming out and starting conversations for which players to keep an eye on.   

Per ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello, the watch list for the Jerry West Award, given to the nation's top shooting guard, has been released with 20 names on it:

It's a deep, talented list, led by Oklahoma Sooners star Buddy Hield. He's one of the rare top prospects who will spend four years in college, though his development in the previous three seasons has greatly impacted his stock. 

The 21-year-old was named Big 12 Player of the Year last season, averaging a career-best 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was named a first-team preseason All-American by Gary Parrish of CBS Sports, along with Providence's Kris Dunn, Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer, LSU's Ben Simmons and Kentucky's Skal Labissiere.

However, Hield's competition for the Jerry West Award is intense. Wichita State's Ron Baker is another senior star; Michigan's Caris Levert led the Wolverines in scoring last year and will look to bring the team back to national prominence; Duke's Grayson Allen will play a more prominent role in his sophomore season with Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones in the NBA. 

It's a roster of talent to watch all season, not even including the players off of the radar who can emerge as stars once the games start. Preseason awards lists are always fun to read and debate, but there will be vast changes after everyone takes the court to show their skills.