WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior guard Fletcher Loyer has been named to the Jerry West Award watch list, given annually to the nation's top shooting guard by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Loyer is one of just two Big Ten players on the 20-man list, joined by Ohio State's Meechie Johnson Jr. Loyer is on the preseason list for the second straight season.
A 6-foot, 5-inch guard from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Loyer had a strong season as a sophomore, starting all 39 games and averaging 10.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range and 86.1 percent from the free throw line. He ranked 14th nationally in 3-point percentage and seventh among high-major players that made at least 60, 3-pointers, finishing the year 63-of-142 (.444) from deep.
Loyer was even better in league play, making 33-of-68 (.485) from long distance, the 11th-best mark nationally and tops in the Big Ten. The total was fourth among high-major players. He was one-of-10 players nationally to shoot at least 44.0 percent from 3-point range, make 50 trifectas and shoot at least 85.0 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 12.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds against nationally-ranked teams, shooting 39.0 percent from long range and 88.9 percent from the free throw line, and went 19-of-33 (.576) from 3-point range in the last 11 games of the year.
Loyer scored a career-high 27 points against both No. 1-ranked Arizona and No. 7-ranked Tennessee (Maui Invitational) and was named Big Ten Player of the Week following the win over Arizona.
Loyer and the Boilermakers will host Grand Valley State in the final exhibition tuneup on Wednesday night, then take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 4, for the regular-season opener.
Loyer is one of just two Big Ten players on the 20-man list, joined by Ohio State's Meechie Johnson Jr. Loyer is on the preseason list for the second straight season.
A 6-foot, 5-inch guard from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Loyer had a strong season as a sophomore, starting all 39 games and averaging 10.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range and 86.1 percent from the free throw line. He ranked 14th nationally in 3-point percentage and seventh among high-major players that made at least 60, 3-pointers, finishing the year 63-of-142 (.444) from deep.
Loyer was even better in league play, making 33-of-68 (.485) from long distance, the 11th-best mark nationally and tops in the Big Ten. The total was fourth among high-major players. He was one-of-10 players nationally to shoot at least 44.0 percent from 3-point range, make 50 trifectas and shoot at least 85.0 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 12.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds against nationally-ranked teams, shooting 39.0 percent from long range and 88.9 percent from the free throw line, and went 19-of-33 (.576) from 3-point range in the last 11 games of the year.
Loyer scored a career-high 27 points against both No. 1-ranked Arizona and No. 7-ranked Tennessee (Maui Invitational) and was named Big Ten Player of the Week following the win over Arizona.
Loyer and the Boilermakers will host Grand Valley State in the final exhibition tuneup on Wednesday night, then take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 4, for the regular-season opener.