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Gonzaga Bulldogs junior Joel Ayayi was named one of the five finalists for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
He joins a who’s who of college basketball scorers, alongside MaCio Teague (Baylor), Quentin Grims (Houston), Joe Wieskamp (Iowa), and Chris Duarte (Oregon).
On a team loaded with national names and stars such as Corey Kispert, Drew Timme, and Jalen Suggs, Ayayi is the less-mentioned but equally important piece of the roster. He is fourth in the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, second in rebounding at seven per game, and holds an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.19. Earlier this year, Ayayi also recorded the first triple-double in school history, scoring 12 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and doling out 14 assists (the second-most in school history).
Ayayi joins Jalen Suggs, who was named a Bob Cousy Award Finalist, as the two Gonzaga players so far on track for end of year awards. More are likely to follow.