Arizona’s Brayden Burries Named to Jerry West Award Midseason Watch List Amid Breakout January
Arizona freshman guard Brayden Burries continues to turn heads-and now he’s got the hardware to prove it. The Wildcats standout has officially been named to the Jerry West Award Midseason Watch List, an honor reserved for the top shooting guards in college basketball.
The recognition comes on the heels of a breakout stretch for Burries, who just earned his first career Big 12 Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week honors. Averaging 23.0 points during that span, Burries became the second Arizona player this season to take home the league’s top weekly honor and the third Wildcat to be named the conference’s Newcomer of the Week.
This surge hasn’t exactly caught Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd off guard. In fact, Lloyd saw the potential in Burries long before he ever donned a Wildcats jersey.
“Really good player,” Lloyd said, reflecting on his early impressions of Burries. “Probably the first time I saw him was at one of the Section 8 tournaments up in Glendale.
You just saw a guard with good size. Is he a point guard?
Is he a two? Those are great conversations to have.
That means you’ve got a really good player.”
That positional versatility was part of what made Burries such a compelling prospect. Lloyd and his staff identified him early and saw not just talent, but a fit-someone who could thrive in Arizona’s system both on and off the floor.
“As we got to know him and his family, it was the perfect combination,” Lloyd added.
And now that January has rolled around, Burries is showing exactly why the Wildcats were so high on him from the start. Lloyd, who’s been consistent in saying he expected a leap from Burries this month, is seeing that prediction play out in real time.
“I’m not putting any ceilings on any of these guys,” Lloyd said. “Brayden had a good little bounce in his step and rhythm to his game today. I think he’s getting a lot of confidence.”
That confidence is translating into more than just scoring. According to Lloyd, Burries is starting to blend his natural instincts with a growing understanding of the college game-a combination that’s helping him control the pace and feel of each possession.
“Brayden has amazing instincts for a young basketball player,” Lloyd said. “Now I think he’s layering that with some experience where maybe he’s understanding what’s coming before it’s happening a little bit more.
He’s responding to situations in the game as opposed to reacting. That’s a natural growth for a young player.”
With his name now among the top 10 shooting guards in the country, Burries joins an elite group of players vying for the Jerry West Award. Here’s a look at the full midseason watch list:
- Brayden Burries, Arizona
- Cameron Carr, Baylor
- Richie Saunders, BYU
- Isaiah Evans, Duke
- Emanuel Sharp, Houston
- Keaton Wagler, Illinois
- Darryn Peterson, Kansas
- Solo Ball, UConn
- Duke Miles, Vanderbilt
- John Blackwell, Wisconsin
For Burries, this is more than just midseason recognition-it’s a sign that his rapid development is being noticed on a national level. And if January is any indication, he’s just getting started.