Stojakovic Named Erving Award Watch Listing Candidate

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame introduced Wednesday that Fighting Illini junior Andrej Stojakovic is one in every of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2026 Julius Erving Award.

Named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 17-year skilled basketball participant, the Julius Erving Award celebrates its twelfth 12 months by recognizing the highest small forwards in Division I males’s faculty basketball. 

Stojakovic was the sixth-leading scorer within the ACC final 12 months throughout his sophomore season at Cal, averaging 17.9 factors. In addition to his scoring, he additionally averaged 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists and led Cal in blocks with a mean of 1.2 bpg. Stojakovic scored in double figures in 25 of 29 video games with 13 performances of 20+ factors. He earned a spot on the ACC All-Tournament First Team, averaging 33 factors on 57% taking pictures in a pair of postseason contests. Stojakovic erupted for a career-high 37 factors vs. Stanford after opening the match with 29 factors in a win over Virginia Tech.

2026 Julius Erving Award Candidates*

Karter Knox, Arkansas

Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor

AJ Dybantsa, BYU

Dame Sarr, Duke

Derrion Reid, Oklahoma

Isiah Harwell, Houston

Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois

Tucker DeVries, Indiana

Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State

Coen Carr, Michigan State

Darrion Williams, N.C. State

Devin Royal, Ohio State

Fletcher Loyer, Purdue

Miles Byrd, San Diego State

Nate Ament, Tennessee

Dailyn Swain, Texas

LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech

Eric Daily Jr., UCLA

Braylon Mullins, UConn

Chad Baker-Mazara, USC

*Players can play their approach onto and off the listing at any level within the 2025-26 season.

In partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), 20 watch-list candidates for the 2026 Cheryl Miller Award additionally have been introduced, honoring the highest small forwards in NCAA Division I girls’s basketball. 

Fans are inspired to take part in Fan Voting in every of the three rounds beginning on Friday, October 31. In late January, the watch listing of 20 gamers for the 2026 Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards shall be narrowed to 10, after which in late February, to only 5. In March, the 5 finalists shall be offered to Erving, Miller, and the Hall of Fame’s choice committees, the place winners shall be chosen. The Selection Committees for the Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards are composed of high males’s and girls’s faculty basketball personnel, together with media members, head coaches, sports activities data administrators, and Hall of Famers. 

The winner of the 2026 Erving and Miller Awards shall be offered on a to-be-determined date, together with the opposite 4 members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being offered embrace the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center). 

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are Cooper Flagg, Duke (2025), Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Wendell Moore Jr., Duke (2022), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), 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). 

Previous winners of the Cheryl Miller Award are Madison Booker, Texas (2024-25), Ashley Joens, Iowa State (2021-23), Satou Sabally, Oregon (2020), Bridget Carleton, Iowa State (2019), and Gabby Williams, Connecticut (2018). 

For extra data on the 2026 Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards and the newest updates, go to hoophallawards.com and comply with @hoophallu, #ErvingAward, and #MillerAward on X and Instagram.