Indiana senior guard Tucker DeVries was named among the finalists for the Julius Erving Award this week. The award, which is given to the best small forward in college basketball, has never been won by an Indiana Hooser since its creation in 2014.
The Julius Erving Award is given annually to the best men’s basketball Division I small forward in the country.
The 6-foot-7 DeVries is one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the award, which honors the nation’s top small forward each season.
Here is the full release from Indiana Athletics:
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.
Recent winners include Cooper Flagg, Dalton Knecht, Jalen Wilson, Wendell Moore Jr. and Corey Kispert.
Julius Erving Award Preseason Canadiates incldue:
Karter Knox, Arkansas
Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Dame Sarr, Duke
Derrion Reid, Oklahoma
Isiah Harwell, Houston
Andrej Stojakovi?, 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
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the season at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Novemeber 5th, against Alabama A&M at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.