The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the preseason watchlist for the 2026 Julius Erving Award, including Indiana redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries, on Wednesday.
Named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 17-year professional basketball player, the Julius Erving Award celebrates its 12th year by recognizing the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watchlist of 20 athletes.
DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, has tallied 1,986 points, 626 rebounds, 283 assists, and 139 steals in 112 games during his four-year career. He holds career averages of 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
The two-time transfer has 101 career double-figure scoring games and has posted at least 20 points in 41 contests. He has won 75.0% (84-28) of games in which he has played. In his each of his three healthy seasons of college ball, DeVries scored at least 500 points and made at least 75 3-point field goals.
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the season at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 5, against Alabama A&M at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
JULIUS ERVING SMALL FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON CANDIDATES*
Karter Knox, Arkansas
Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Dame Sarr, Duke
Derrion Reid, Oklahoma
Isiah Harwell, Houston
Andrej Stojaković, Illinois
Tucker DeVries, Indiana
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Coen Carr, Michigan State
Darrion Williams, NC State
Devin Royal, Ohio State
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
Miles Byrd, SDSU
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Dailyn Swain, Texas
LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA
Braylon Mullins, UConn
Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2025-26 season
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 31. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 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 committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men’s basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 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 Cooper Flagg, Duke (2025), Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), 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).
For more information on the 2026 Julius Erving Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #ErvingAward on X and Instagram.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame Museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo “Court of Dreams.” Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 150 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad.
