They needed him tonight

Basketball College Careers of Greatest NBA Players of All Time: Jerry West Jerry West was born in West Virginia in 1938. In his high school years, he would dominate his opponents as he would throughout his career. In his senior year of high school he was named an All-American after becoming the first high school player in West Virginia to ever score 900 points in a single season. Staying close to home, West would become a West Virginia University Mountaineer. As a sophomore, West would start all 28 games, shoot near 50% for the season from the field, and average a double-double. As impressive as his sophomore campaign was, as a junior, things only got better. He would improve to 26.6 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game, and 51.8% shooting percentage. West would obtain two impressive college highs during this season, blazing for 44 points versus Tennessee and 31 rebounds versus George Washington University. In his final collegiate season, amazingly the improvements continued. West averaged 29.3 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. He was an all-American selection and Southern Conference tournament in every season he played for West Virginia. He managed a trip to the NCAA tournament finals once, where the Mountaineers lost. West’s individual efforts throughout college would lead him to becoming the second overall pick in the 1960 NBA entry draft. As a Los Angeles Laker, West’s seemingly unlimited potential would turn him into a legend around the league and a staple of the franchise for decades to come.