• Julius Erving Award Website
Belmont University men’s basketball senior Evan Bradds has been named one of 20 candidates for the 2017 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Named after Hall of Famer and 11-time NBA All-Star Julius Erving, the annual honor in its third year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Bradds, who was named 2016 OVC Player of the Year, Honorable Mention AP All-American, and All-District by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), led the nation in field goal percentage (.714) for a second straight season.
In fact, through 100 career games, Bradds' field goal percentage (.690; 507-of-735) ranks first in NCAA Division I men's basketball since the statistical category was first tracked in 1948.
One of the most consistent frontcourt players in college basketball, Bradds has scored in double figures in 54 of his last 65 games, including 12 games of 20 or more points last season.
Ranked as the third-most efficient offensive player (behind only Alex Peters of Valparaiso and Devin Cannady of Princeton) returning to college basketball by noted statistician Ken Pomeroy, Bradds averaged 20.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last January. Bradds was named to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List - an award presented annually to the top mid major player in college basketball.
Bradds ranked among OVC leaders in five statistical categories, including fourth in scoring (17.6) and second in rebounding (9.2).
He also set program and conference records with his 15-for-16, 32-point performance in the 2016 OVC Tournament versus Austin Peay. The Jamestown, Ohio native earned Legends Classic Subregional Most Valuable Player honors after making 22 consecutive field goal attempts during a three-game stretch.
Heading into his senior season, Bradds has 1,340 career points and 675 career rebounds.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2017 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2017 Julius Erving Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015). For more information on the 2017 Julius Erving Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.
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 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.
2017 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Evan Bradds, Belmont
Kelan Martin, Butler
Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson
Terry Larrier, Connecticut
Jayson Tatum, Duke
Dwayne Bacon, Florida St.
OG Anunoby, Indiana
Deng Adel, Louisville
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
VJ Beachem, Notre Dame
Jae'Sean Tate, Ohio St.
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Tres Tinkle, Oregon St.
Vince Edwards, Purdue
Dikembe Dixson, University of Illinois at Chicago
Kevin Hervey, UT Arlington
Jalen Moore, Utah St.
Josh Hart, Villanova
Markis McDuffie, Wichita St.
Trevon Bluiett, Xavier