SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Gonzaga's
Rui Hachimura was named one of five finalists for the 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Wednesday.
Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in October, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February 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 2019 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. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 8-29.
The five finalists for the 2019 Julius Erving Award are Hachimura (Gonzaga), Marial Shayok (Iowa State), Caleb Martin (Nevada), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee) and De'Andre Hunter (Virginia).
Hachimura is third in the West Coast Conference averaging 20.6 points per game. He is sixth in the league shooting 61.3 percent from the field and eighth grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game. The junior also has 23 blocks this season. He made 63.5 percent of his shots from the field in conference play, which ranks fourth in the league.
Hachimura has scored in double-digits in each of the Zags' 31 games this season, reaching 20 or more points 19 times. He has four double-doubles so far this season. The Toyama, Japan, native scored a career-high 33 points against Idaho State.
Julius Erving attended the University of Massachusetts and averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, making him one of only six NCAA men's basketball players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. After two seasons, Erving made the jump to the American Basketball Association and was the league's most recognizable player when it merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. During his professional career, Erving won three championships, four most valuable player awards and three scoring titles. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
The winner of the 2019 Julius Erving Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, on April 12, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and receiving support from Eaton Ephesus Lighting include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Julius Erving Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com.
