West played the small forward position early in his career, and he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game.
Jerry West bermain pada posisi small forward di awal kariernya, dan Ia menonjol di East Bank High School dan di West Virginia University, di mana Ia memimpin Mountaineers ke pertandingan kejuaraan NCAA 1959.