FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas freshman Jordan Walsh has been named to the watch list for the 2023 Julius Erving Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
The award, presented annually since 2015, recognizes the top small forward in Division I men's college basketball. Walsh, one of the Razorbacks’ three 5-star signees in their most recent recruiting class, is one of four SEC players on the 20-person watch list.
He is joined by Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James, Kentucky’s Chris Livingston and Alabama’s Brandon Miller, who was an AAU teammate of Arkansas freshman guard Nick Smith Jr.
Also among the preseason candidates for the award is Timmy Allen of Texas. The Razorbacks face the Longhorns in an exhibition in Austin, Texas, on Saturday at 3 p.m.
An Arkansas player has never won the award. Past winners include Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr., Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Villanova’s Mikal Bridges.
On Tuesday, Smith was named to the 20-player watch list for the Jerry West Award, which honors college basketball's best shooting guard.
2023 Julius Erving Award watch list
Jordan Walsh (Arkansas)
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 (North Carolina)
Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
Jamison Battle (Minnesota)