Doug West facts for kids

Jeffery Douglas West (born May 27, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Doug West is 6 feet 6 inches tall. He played as a swingman, meaning he could play both shooting guard and small forward. He was picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1989 NBA draft. West was one of the very first players drafted by the Timberwolves. He was also the last player from that original team to stay with them for a long time.

High School Basketball Star

Doug West went to Altoona Area High School in Pennsylvania. He was an amazing player there. He was even named a Parade All-American. This means he was one of the best high school basketball players in the country.

After high school, many colleges wanted him to play for them. He chose to go to Villanova University. This was a big deal because Villanova had just won the NCAA Championship in 1985.

College Career at Villanova

At Villanova University, Doug West showed he was a smart player. He was great at shooting and driving to the basket. He also had an amazing jumping ability. He played well in all four of his college years.

He scored about 15 points per game on average. He became one of the top scorers in Villanova's history. He scored a total of 2,037 points between 1986 and 1989. He is still ranked fifth on the team's all-time scoring list.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

In 1986, as a freshman, he made the Big East All-Freshman team. This showed he was one of the best new players in the conference. As a sophomore, he was the second-highest scorer on his team. He averaged 15.2 points per game.

Junior and Senior Years

In 1988, as a junior, West led the Wildcats in scoring. He averaged 16 points per game. That year, he and his teammate Mark Plansky led Villanova on an exciting run. They played in the 1988 NCAA tournament.

They surprised many teams by beating strong teams like Illinois and Kentucky. They made it to the Elite 8, which is the quarter-finals of the tournament. They finally lost to the top-ranked Oklahoma team. Doug West was named to the NCAA All-Southeast region team. He also made the All-Big East team that season.

As a senior in 1989, he again led Villanova in scoring. He averaged 18 points per game. He also made the All-Big East team again.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves (1989–1997)

The Minnesota Timberwolves picked Doug West in the 1989 NBA draft. He was chosen in the second round. He was a very athletic player who could score and play strong defense. He was part of the first-ever Timberwolves team. He was the last player from that original team to stay with them.

West became a regular starter for the Timberwolves in the 1991–92 season. He averaged 14.0 points per game that year. He even took part in the Gatorade Slam Dunk Championship! He also won the Timberwolves' Defensive Player of the Year award. The next season, he had his best scoring year. He averaged 19.3 points per game.

In 1993, the Timberwolves drafted another shooting guard, Isaiah Rider. Rider became the new starter. Doug West then moved to play small forward. His scoring numbers went down after this change. In 1995, he broke a team record. He became the Timberwolves' all-time leading scorer. Later, Kevin Garnett would break his record.

The team drafted Kevin Garnett in 1995. West then moved to the bench, starting only 16 games. He returned to the starting lineup for the 1996–97 season. This happened when Rider was traded to another team. This would be his last season as a starter.

Time with the Vancouver Grizzlies (1998–2000)

By the mid-1990s, injuries started to affect Doug West. He was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1998. He brought experience to the young Grizzlies team. However, he did not play much due to his injuries. He retired from the NBA in 2001.

In his NBA career, he scored a total of 6,477 points. He also had 1,670 rebounds and 1,292 assists. His last NBA game was on December 20, 2000. The Grizzlies won that game against the Washington Wizards.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Doug West became a coach. He coached at a high school in Pennsylvania for two years. He also worked as an athletic director at a private girls' school.

He was an assistant coach for the Duquesne University women's basketball team for one season. On October 5, 2007, West became an assistant coach for the Villanova Wildcats. This was his old college team! In 2012, West joined the coaching staff for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This team is part of the NBA D-League (now called the G-League).

On July 9, 2015, West became the head coach for men's basketball at Penn State Altoona. On May 20, 2016, he became the boys' basketball coach at his old high school, Altoona Area High School.

Most recently, on September 5, 2023, Doug West became an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers.

See also

In Spanish: Doug West para niños