10/28/2026 10:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Award goes to nation’s best collegiate small forward
SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga's Davis Fogle was named to the Julius Erving Award Watch List. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates Wednesday.
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Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor, in its 11th 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.
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Fogle, a sophomore guard, earned conference All-Freshman Team honors last season. He appeared in 29 games, averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field. The Anacortes, Wash., native, totaled 259 points, 93 rebounds and 40 assists in his first collegiate season.
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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.
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Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Oct. 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where the winner will be selected. The selection committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
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The winner of the 2027 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 (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).
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Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award include AJ Dybantsa, BYU (2026), Cooper Flagg, Duke (2025), Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).
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For more information on the 2027 Julius Erving Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #ErvingAward on X and Instagram.
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2026-27 Julius Erving Award Candidates*
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Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor, in its 11th 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.
Â
Fogle, a sophomore guard, earned conference All-Freshman Team honors last season. He appeared in 29 games, averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field. The Anacortes, Wash., native, totaled 259 points, 93 rebounds and 40 assists in his first collegiate season.
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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.
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Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Oct. 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where the winner will be selected. The selection committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
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The winner of the 2027 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 (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).
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Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award include AJ Dybantsa, BYU (2026), Cooper Flagg, Duke (2025), Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).
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For more information on the 2027 Julius Erving Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #ErvingAward on X and Instagram.
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2026-27 Julius Erving Award Candidates*
| NAME | SCHOOL |
| Amari Allen | Alabama |
| Ivan Kharchenkov | Arizona |
| Billy Richmond III | Arkansas |
| Bruce Branch III | BYU |
| Dame Sarr | Duke |
| Thomas Haugh | Florida |
| Davis Fogle | Gonzaga |
| Andrej Stojakovic | Illinois |
| Tyran Stokes | Kansas |
| Milan Momcilovic | Kentucky |
| Shelton Henderson | Miami |
| Coen Carr | Michigan State |
| Pryce Sandfort | Nebraska |
| Anthony Thompson | Ohio State |
| Tounde Yessoufou | St. John's |
| Aiden Tobiason | Syracuse |
| Juke Harris | Tennessee |
| Nikola Kusturica | UCLA |
| Colben Landrew | UConn |
| Amani Hansberry | Virginia Tech |
Players Mentioned
Guard
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