Cooke is the first Dayton player to be named to the West Award watch list. The other finalists are: Allonzo Trier, Arizona; Dusty Hannahs, Arkansas; Nick Emery, Brigham Young University; Jacob Evans, Cincinnati; Grayson Allen Duke; Jordan Matthews, Gonzaga; Malcolm Hill, Illinois; James Blackmon Jr., Indiana; Peter Jok, Iowa; Devonte’ Graham, Kansas; Malik Monk, Kentucky; Antonio Blakeney, Louisiana State University; Donovan Mitchell, Louisville; Eron Harris, Michigan St.; Elijah Brown, New Mexico; Tyler Dorsey, Oregon; E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island; Shake Milton, Southern Methodist University; and Isaac Hamilton, UCLA.
The list will be narrowed to 10 in February. Five finalists will be invited to the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles in March.
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield won the award in 2016. Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell won in 2015.