SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the five finalists for the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.
The five finalists for the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award are Hyunjung Lee (Davidson), Wendell Moore (Duke), Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers), Julian Champagnie (St. John’s) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA).
“The five student-athletes nominated as finalists for this honor have been tremendous assets to their teams throughout the course of this season,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “These young men truly play with the same spirit that Dr. J brought to the court each day and are elated to honor them with an award that bears Julius Erving’s name.”
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in late January and now just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
“Having had a chance to watch these tremendous student-athletes play this year, we certainly have a difficult decision to make coming down the stretch of the season,” said Julius Erving, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1993. “I’m excited to see how the remainder of the season plays out and look forward to selecting our winner in the coming weeks.”
The winner of the 2022 Julius Erving Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award, in addition to the Women’s Starting Five. Additional information about the award presentation, including date and time, will be released in the coming weeks.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include 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).