Jerry West, the former West Virginia University basketball standout who went on to a stellar career in the NBA is paying another visit to his home court today.

Hes the featured speaker for todays 2006 Don Nehlen Distinguished Lecture Series, which will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Erickson Alumni Center on the Evansdale Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

West, a sometimes shy playmaker from Cheylan, W.Va., who wore No. 44 for the Mountaineers, was a key contributor on the WVU team that came within two points of winning college basketballs national championship in 1959.

After graduation, he was co-captain of the gold-medal U.S. Olympic basketball team in Rome in 1960 before achieving legendary status with the NBA s Los Angles Lakers, where many of his records still stand today.

His solid consistency as a player earned him the nickname,Mr. Clutch,and he carried that over to the front office. After stints as coach and general manager of the Lakers, he now serves as president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA .

He becameDr. Clutchlast May in Morgantown when he was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater after making keynote remarks during the 137th Commencement.

The Don Nehlen Lecture Series was established in 2001 after Nehlen retired as the Universitys head football coach. Past speakers have included former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler and Jim Boeheim, the current mens basketball head coach at Syracuse.

This years series is co-sponsored United Bank and WVU s School of Physical Education.

For more information, contact Joanne Pollitt at joanne.pollitt@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-3295, ext. 5257.

Nehlen was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.