BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the preseason watchlist for the 2026 Julius Erving Award, including Indiana redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries, on Wednesday.
Named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 17-year professional basketball player, the Julius Erving Award celebrates its 12th year by recognizing the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watchlist of 20 athletes.
DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, has tallied 1,986 points, 626 rebounds, 283 assists, and 139 steals in 112 games during his four-year career. He holds career averages of 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
The two-time transfer has 101 career double-figure scoring games and has posted at least 20 points in 41 contests. He has won 75.0% (84-28) of games in which he has played. In his each of his three healthy seasons of college ball, DeVries scored at least 500 points and made at least 75 3-point field goals.
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the season at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 5, against Alabama A&M at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
JULIUS ERVING SMALL FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON 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, NC State
Devin Royal, Ohio State
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
Miles Byrd, SDSU
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Dailyn Swain, Texas
LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA
Braylon Mullins, UConn
Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2025-26 season
