University of Memphis Athletics
Precious Achiuwa selected as a finalist for Julius Erving Award.
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Achiuwa one of five finalists for Erving Award
Mar 04, 2020 | Men's Basketball
Tigers' freshman forward joins elite company vying for top small forward in nation
University of Memphis freshman is one of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday the finalists for the 2020 award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its sixth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
Joining Achiuwa as a finalist are Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Saddiq Bey (Villanova) and Naji Marshall (Xavier).
"Narrowing this list of candidates to just five finalists has been no easy feat and these young men should be extremely proud," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "We thank all our committee members, especially Mr. Erving, and we look forward to his involvement as we determine our winner in the coming weeks. We also encourage fans to cast their votes as part of our selection process."
Achiuwa is the only freshman in the nation averaging a double-double this season. From the Bronx, New York, Achiuwa is coming off a 22-point, 22-rebound double-double against Tulane Saturday in New Orleans. He leads the UofM in scoring (15.5 points per game) and rebounding (10.4 per game).
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 early 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 2020 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. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, March 6 via hoophallawards.com.
"The top five candidates have proven their prowess and importance to their teams," said Julius Erving, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1993. "As they finish the season, I know they will continue to show us how deserving of this award they are, while ultimately working to lead their teams to a championship."
The winner of the 2020 Julius Erving Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, 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, in addition to the Women's Starting Five. Additional information about the telecast will be released by ESPN in the coming weeks.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include 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 and the latest updates on the 2020 Julius Erving Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Â
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday the finalists for the 2020 award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its sixth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
Joining Achiuwa as a finalist are Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Saddiq Bey (Villanova) and Naji Marshall (Xavier).
"Narrowing this list of candidates to just five finalists has been no easy feat and these young men should be extremely proud," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "We thank all our committee members, especially Mr. Erving, and we look forward to his involvement as we determine our winner in the coming weeks. We also encourage fans to cast their votes as part of our selection process."
Achiuwa is the only freshman in the nation averaging a double-double this season. From the Bronx, New York, Achiuwa is coming off a 22-point, 22-rebound double-double against Tulane Saturday in New Orleans. He leads the UofM in scoring (15.5 points per game) and rebounding (10.4 per game).
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 early 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 2020 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. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, March 6 via hoophallawards.com.
"The top five candidates have proven their prowess and importance to their teams," said Julius Erving, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1993. "As they finish the season, I know they will continue to show us how deserving of this award they are, while ultimately working to lead their teams to a championship."
The winner of the 2020 Julius Erving Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, 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, in addition to the Women's Starting Five. Additional information about the telecast will be released by ESPN in the coming weeks.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include 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 and the latest updates on the 2020 Julius Erving Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Â
Men's Basketball: Dr. Ed Scott and Penny Hardaway Press Conference-March 18, 2026
Wednesday, March 18
Men's Basketball: Penny Hardaway and Dug McDaniel Press Conference-March 11, 2026
Wednesday, March 11
Men's Basketball: Zach Davis and Dug McDaniel Press Conference-March 5, 2026
Thursday, March 05
Men's Basketball: Penny Hardaway Press Conference-March 5, 2026
Thursday, March 05