KJ Lewis Makes Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List
10/30/2024 | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (October 30, 2024) — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2025 Julius Erving Award and Arizona's KJ Lewis was among the student-athletes included. Lewis had an excellent freshman season, bringing intensity and energy off the bench to help the Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and capture the Pac-12 Conference regular season title in the process.
The annual Julius Erving Award, named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player, celebrates its 11th year by recognizing the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
|
2025 Julius Erving Award Candidates* |
|
|
Arizona |
|
|
BJ Freeman |
Arizona State |
|
Chad Baker-Mazara |
Auburn |
|
Tyson Degenhart |
Boise State |
|
Cooper Flagg |
Duke |
|
Michael Ajayi |
Gonzaga |
|
Mackenzie Mgbako |
Indiana |
|
Payton Sandfort |
Iowa |
|
Milan Momcilovic |
Iowa State |
|
AJ Storr |
Kansas |
|
Jaxson Robinson |
Kentucky |
|
Matthew Cleveland |
Miami (Fla.) |
|
Frankie Fidler |
Michigan State |
|
Mark Mitchell |
Missouri |
|
Ian Jackson |
North Carolina |
|
Drake Powell |
North Carolina |
|
Ace Bailey |
Rutgers |
|
Arthur Kaluma |
Texas |
|
Liam McNeeley |
UConn |
|
Tucker DeVries |
West Virginia |
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Wendell Moore Jr., Duke (2022), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).
For more information on the 2025 Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #ErvingAward, and #MillerAward on X and Instagram.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 450 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophallu, or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
