• Julius Erving Award Website
Belmont University senior All-America candidate
Dylan Windler has been named to the 2019 Julius Erving Award Watch List, 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.
"Julius Erving is well-known for his flare and competitive spirit which have made him one of the most admired and respected in the game across all generations," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "It is an honor to have his involvement in the Naismith Starting 5 and we look forward to recognizing the young man who most closely mirrors the passion and athleticism of Dr. J this season."
The 6-7 guard/forward emerged as one of the top two-way players in college basketball last season. The Indianapolis native ranked among NCAA leaders in double-doubles (15) and defensive rebounds (250) and scored in double figures of 31 games.
Windler, an All-OVC First Team selection and Mid-Major All-America honoree, posted a career-high 36-point, 20-rebound performance vs. Morehead State (2/17/18), joining Marvin Bagley of Duke and Jo Lual-Acuil of Baylor as one of only three players in the nation to record a 30-20 game in 2017-18.
Windler was among OVC leaders in nine statistical categories, including fourth in scoring (17.3) and first in rebounding (9.3) and also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and is a three-time OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 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 2019 Julius Erving Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and sponsored by 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.
For more information on the 2019 Julius Erving Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Dylan Windler, Belmont
Cam Reddish, Duke
Elijah Minnie, Eastern Michigan
Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
Sam Hauser, Marquette
Aaron Wiggins, Maryland
Caleb Martin Nevada
Nassir Little, North Carolina
Louis King, Oregon
Tres Tinkle, Oregon State
Lamar Stevens, Penn State
O'Shea Brissett, Syracuse
Admiral Schofield, Tennessee
Jordon Varnado, Troy
Kris Wilkes, UCLA
De'Andre Hunter, Virginia
Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest
Matisse Thybulle, Washington
Robert Franks Jr., Washington State