I know he was a wvu grad, but he was an iconic figure for most West Virginians. I remember as a child my parents let me stay up late watching the 1959 NCAA championship where Cal beat wvu 71-70. I got Jerry and Fred Schaus (Jerry's coach at wvu) autographs that summer at the Olympic Pool in Huntington. My memory is fuzzy, but there was a summer basketball league at the pool. I think Leo Byrd and Hal Greer played at the pool that summer.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-legend-jerry-west-dies-at-age-86-134646038.html
FT2, was a young teen in 59 who stayed up and watched WVU lose that cliff hanger. Was upset since it was such a squeaker and the EERS lost, but the fact was that they had NO answer for CAL's 6'10" center, Darrell Imhoff! Willie Akers, the WVU counterpart, was "allegedly" 6'5"!!
West's passing leaves a decreasing number of what could easily be tabbed as West Virginia's "Hich School Basketball Royalty" in the last 50-75 years: the likes of Greer, West, Willie Akers, Akers' High School coach at Mullens, Louis D'Antoni, and, of course D'Antoni's sons, Dan and Mike, a Coach or two at Beckley, same at Huntington High and East, Lou Romano at Charleston High, Jennings Boyd at Northfork, and no doubt a few more!! Been some great HS ball in this "small" State over that period, IMO!!