SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – UCLA sophomore Kris Wilkes has been chosen as one of 20 players selected to the watch list for the 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as announced Wednesday.
Wilkes, a 6-foot-8 guard from Indianapolis, averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2017-18. He played in all 33 games and made 32 starts, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding. In addition, he shot 44.1 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range.
This annual award is now in its fifth season and recognizes the top small forward in Division I men's college basketball. The award is named after Julius Erving, who attended the University of Massachusetts and averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, making him one of just six NCAA men's basketball players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined this year's initial 20-player watch list.
Wilkes secured Pac-12 All-Freshman Team acclaim in 2017-18. He registered a season-high 22 points in a victory at USC (March 3) to close the Bruins' regular-season schedule. In all, Wilkes finished the year with six games in which he scored at least 20 points.
By mid-February of 2019, the award's watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to the award's selection committee. The winner of the Julius Erving Award will be presented to the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles on Friday, April 12.
Julius Erving Award Candidates (2018-19)
| Student-Athlete | School |
| Dylan Windler | Belmont |
| Cam Reddish | Duke |
| Elijah Minnie | Eastern Michigan |
| Rui Hachimura | Gonzaga |
| Keldon Johnson | Kentucky |
| Sam Hauser | Marquette |
| Aaron Wiggins | Maryland |
| Caleb Martin | Nevada |
| Nassir Little | North Carolina |
| Louis King | Oregon |
| Tres Tinkle | Oregon State |
| Lamar Stevens | Penn State |
| O'Shea Brissett | Syracuse |
| Admiral Schofield | Tennessee |
| Jordon Varnado | Troy |
| Kris Wilkes | UCLA |
| De'Andre Hunter | Virginia |
| Jaylen Hoard | Wake Forest |
| Matisse Thybulle | Washington |
| Robert Franks Jr. | Washington State |