UConn’s Solo Ball Named to Top Award Watchlist

Recognition keeps rolling in for the UConn Huskies' backcourt. And this time, it has come calling for Solo Ball. The Huskies’ sharpshooting junior has officially been named to the Preseason Watch List for the 2026 Jerry West Award, given annually to the nation’s top shooting guard.

It’s a recognition that celebrates a player who can redefine rhythm, range and reliability. And right now, Ball is hitting all three. The 6-foot-4 guard from Leesburg, Virginia, has come a long way since his freshman season.

Last year, Ball was one Big East’s most feared shooters. He averaged 14.4 points and 3.6 rebounds while making three pointers at a 41.4 percent clip. He was the only Husky to start all 35 games, drained 99 triples, which tied for the fourth-most in UConn history.

Now, Ball's name sits beside names like BYU’s Richie Saunders, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, Florida’s Xaivian Lee and others. However, what makes this moment a lot more special is that no UConn player has ever won the Jerry West award. That alone makes this watch-list moment feel a little historic.

The 20 names on the Jerry West Award preseason watch list, given annually to the nation’s best shooting guard: pic.twitter.com/8lTCBCzqbw
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 28, 2025

The Jerry West Award, created in 2015 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, celebrates the top shooting guard in college basketball each season. It was named after the Lakers legend known as ‘Mr. Clutch.’

West was the original closer, the model of composure under pressure, and the blueprint for every smooth-shooting guard who followed. Since the award's inception, stars like D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State, Malik Monk from Kentucky, and, most recently, Dalton Knecht from Tennessee, have taken home the trophy.

Yet somehow, it’s one award that has never made its way to Storrs. That could change soon. Head coach Dan Hurley certainly thinks so.

Can Dan Hurley Unlock Solo Ball’s Next Gear?

After UConn’s recent exhibition matchup against Michigan, Hurley made it clear that Ball isn’t just a shooter anymore. Instead, he is evolving.

“Yeah, I mean, just when he’s getting run off the line, I thought the finishing was a lot better than it was last year,” Hurley said. “Anytime he got to his third, fourth, fifth dribble and started going laterally, things got a little shaky. But when he plays... he’s got to continue to learn how to play off a live dribble, off a shot fake, use some of these off-ball actions to get downhill.”

That’s the Ball roadmap. While Ball may have built his name from beyond the arc, his next step might be becoming a dual-threat scorer. The preseason signs look promising. Against Michigan, Ball finished with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the line while adding three rebounds and two steals.

J Ross makes a play on one end...Solo makes em pay on the other pic.twitter.com/dANKfORZn2
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) October 28, 2025

A few nights before that, in the Hall of Fame Exhibition win over Boston College, he had another steady 12-point performance, including a driving layup that showed exactly what Hurley was talking about. He had a very polished, controlled, and decisive aggression at the rim.

Ball finished that game shooting 5-of-13 from the field with one triple and added two boards in 32 minutes. And as Hurley keeps pushing him to expand his shot creation and attack instincts, Ball might be the pulse of UConn.

That transformation could be game-changing for a team looking at a deep postseason run after last year’s howler.

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