Scheierman Among 20 Candidates For Julius Erving Award

OMAHA–(CU Athletics Oct. 26)–The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman is one of 20 candidates on the watch list for the 2023 Julius Erving Award.

Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its ninth 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.

“As we look to the new season starting, we are excited to watch the stars on the watch list take the court and showcase their abilities which led to this recognition,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We are honored to have the great ‘Dr. J’ assist our knowledgeable selection committee as they evaluate these student-athletes.”

A senior from Aurora, Neb., Scheierman enters his first season at Creighton as an Honorable Mention choice on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. He was a two-time All-Summit League choice and earned Player of the Year honors in 2021-22. Scheierman was the only player in the country to lead his league in both assists and rebounding last season, and also contributed 16.2 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting from three-point range.

Scheierman is Creighton’s first player in the nine seasons of the Julius Erving Award to be named to the watch list at any point.

2023 Julius Erving Award Candidates*

Julian Strawther Gonzaga
Jaime Jaquez Jr. UCLA
Timmy Allen Texas
Colby Jones Xavier
Dariq Whitehead Duke
Matthew Cleveland Florida State
Josiah-Jordan James Tennessee
Tyler Wahl Wisconsin
Baylor Scheierman Creighton
Harrison Ingram Stanford
Chris Livingston Kentucky
Kevin Obanor Texas Tech
Caleb McConnell Rutgers
Jalen Wilson Kansas
Brandon Miller Alabama
Pelle Larsson Arizona
Leaky Black UNC
Cam Whitmore Villanova
Jamison Battle Minnesota
Jordan Walsh Arkansas

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-23 season.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting on October 28. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just 5. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

The winner of the 2023 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 Award (Power Forward) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five. On Monday, Scheierman’s teammate Ryan Nembhard earned a spot on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award. Last week, Creighton’s Emma Ronsiek landed on the Katrina McClain Award watch list as a candidate to be recognized as the nation’s top power forward in women’s basketball.

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are 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 2023 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram.