Sam Hauser named to Erving Award watch list

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia’s Sam Hauser was one of 20 players named to the watch list for the 2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.

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

Hauser sat out last season after playing three seasons at Marquette. As a junior in 2018-19, Hauser averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds en route to All-BIG EAST second-team honors. Hauser shot 45.9 percent from the field, 40.2 percent from 3-point range and led the BIG EAST in free throw percentage at 92.4 percent.  Hauser averaged 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 35 games as a sophomore in 2017-18 and 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds as a true freshman in 2016-17.

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, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2021 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.

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 2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In late February, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.

The winner of the 2021 Julius Erving Award will be presented on Friday, April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented 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, in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include 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 2021 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, Nov. 6.