SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that Xavier University junior Colby Jones is among the Top 10 candidates for the 2023 Julius Erving Award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its ninth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I college basketball.
2023 Julius Erving Award Top 10 Candidates*
Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA), Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State), Colby Jones (Xavier), Brandon Miller (Alabama), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), Baylor Scheierman (Creighton), Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State), Julian Strawther (Gonzaga) and Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2022-23 season.
Jones, a preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection by the league coaches, is second on the team in assists at 4.9 apg. (sixth in the BIG EAST) and is third in scoring at 15.0 ppg. (13th in the BIG EAST). In addition, Jones ranks second on the team and fourth in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.1 percent. No. 13 Xavier, 19-5, visits Butler on Friday.
Fans can support their favorite players in the remaining rounds by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, February 10, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2023 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 Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.
For more information on the 2023 Julius Erving Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram.
COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
