Courtesy of SJUHawks.com
Saint Joseph’s junior DeAndre’ Bembry has been named as one of the 10 Watch List Finalists for the 2016 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Named after Hall of Famer and 11-time NBA All-Star Julius Erving, the annual honor in its second 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 in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
Bembry is one of the top all-around players in the nation, averaging 16.9 and 8.0 rebounds while leading the Hawks with 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He’s scored double figures in all 21 games for the 18-3 Hawks and has six double-doubles on the season. Bembry ranks seventh in the nation in minutes played with 37.6 per game.
The other finalists are: Roosevelt Jones, Butler; Brandon Ingram, Duke; Wayne Selden, Jr., Kansas; Damion Lee, Louisville; Ben Simmons, Louisiana State; Denzel Valentine, Michigan State; Dillon Brooks, Oregon; Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin; and Trevon Blulett, Xavier.
“As a small forward, Julius Erving excelled at both the collegiate and professional level for nearly thirty years,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Dr. J is one of the most gifted athletes to ever play the game of basketball and it only seems right that this award would bear his name.
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 to 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, Erving was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and in 1993 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the 2016 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. The winner of the 2016 Julius Erving Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 8, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
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