SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Gonzaga's Anton Watson was named to the Julius Erving Award Watch List Wednesday.
 
Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor, in its tenth 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 candidates.
 
Watson was tabbed Honorable Mention All-West Coast Conference last season. The Spokane native was second in the WCC shooting 60.8 percent from the field, while also topping the league in conference play at 64.8 percent. He started all 37 games in 2022-23, averaging a career-best 11.1 points per game, and 12.9 points per WCC contest. Watson had 66 steals, which was second in the conference and the fourth-most in a single season in program history. The Zags are 105-11 in his collegiate appearances.
 
Erving attended the University of Massachusetts (1968-70) 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. He was named a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and was listed as one of the league's 75 greatest players in 2021.
 
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds beginning Friday. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Julius Erving Award 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 committee, where a winner will be selected.
 
The winner of the 2024 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 Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).
 
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are 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).
 
2024 Julius Erving Award Candidates*

Jalen Bridges	Baylor	David Joplin	Marquette
Jaylon Tyson	Cal	Matthew Cleveland	Miami (Fla.)
Baylor Scheierman	Creighton	Coen Carr	Michigan State
Tucker DeVries	Drake	Harrison Ingram	North Carolina
Mark Mitchell	Duke	Jamison Battle	Ohio State
Anton Watson	Gonzaga	Glenn Taylor Jr.	St. John's
Payton Sandfort	Iowa	Dalton Knecht	Tennessee
Johnny Furphy	Kansas	Tyler Burton	Villanova
Arthur Kaluma	Kansas State	Dillon Jones	Weber State
Justin Edwards	Kentucky	Tyler Wahl	Wisconsin

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2023-24 season.