SPORTS

 

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Davidson’s Hyunjung Lee has been named to the 2022 Julius Erving Watch List, as announced Wednesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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

In just two seasons at Davidson, Lee has established himself as one of the nation’s top shooters. As a sophomore, the 6-7 wing became the first-ever Wildcat to conclude the season shooting at least 50 percent overall, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent at the line.

Since the 1992-93 campaign, only 11 Division I college basketball players have accomplished this feat.

A 2020 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selection, Lee averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists this past season, while helping the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the conference standings, followed by a postseason NIT berth.

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected. 

The winner of the 2022 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 Point Guard Award, 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.

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include 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 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, October 22.

2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates* 

Marcus Bagley	Arizona St.
Matt Mayer	Baylor
Kendall Brown	Baylor
Jabari Walker	Colorado
Hyunjung Lee	Davidson
AJ Griffin	Duke
Matthew Cleveland	Florida State
Jalen Wilson	Kansas
Lucas Williamson	Loyola-Chicago
Emoni Bates	Memphis
Caleb Houstan	Michigan
Justice Sueing	Ohio State
Ron Harper Jr.	Rutgers
Julian Champagnie	St. John’s
Harrison Ingram	Stanford
Timmy Allen	Texas
Kevin Obanor	Texas Tech
Jaime Jaquez	UCLA
Patrick Baldwin Jr.	UW-Milwaukee
Jermaine Samuels	Villanova

*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2021-22 season*

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 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 400 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 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall and or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.