10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Julius Erving Award honors nation’s top small forward
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's sophomore guard Tounde Yessoufou has been named to the preseason top 20 watch list for the Julius Erving Award, it was announced on Wednesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Julius Erving Award, named after the New York native and 1987 Hall of Fame enshrinee, is entering its 13th season honoring the top small forward in men's Division I Basketball.
Yessoufou transferred to St. John's following a standout freshmen season at Baylor, where he earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors after averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. He set the Baylor freshman scoring record with 605 points and ranked 10th nationally among freshmen in scoring average. Yessoufou started all 34 games, reaching double figures 32 times and scoring nine points twice. He eclipsed the 20-point mark 12 times, highlighted by a 37-point explosion against BYU on Feb. 10.
His 67 steals were the second-highest total by a freshman in Baylor history, trailing only the 68 tallied by VJ Edgecombe in 2024-25.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. 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.
2027 Julius Erving Award Candidates
Amari Allen, Alabama
Bruce Branch III, BYU
Coen Carr, Michigan State
Davis Fogle, Gonzaga
Amani Hansberry, Virginia Tech
Juke Harris, Tennessee
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Shelton Henderson, Miami
Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona
Nikola Kusturica, UCLA
Colben Landrew, UConn
Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky
Billy Richmond III, Arkansas
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Dame Sarr, Duke
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Anthony Thompson, Ohio State
Aiden Tobiason, Syracuse
Tounde Yessoufou ,St. John's
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2026-27 season.
The Julius Erving Award, named after the New York native and 1987 Hall of Fame enshrinee, is entering its 13th season honoring the top small forward in men's Division I Basketball.
Yessoufou transferred to St. John's following a standout freshmen season at Baylor, where he earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors after averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. He set the Baylor freshman scoring record with 605 points and ranked 10th nationally among freshmen in scoring average. Yessoufou started all 34 games, reaching double figures 32 times and scoring nine points twice. He eclipsed the 20-point mark 12 times, highlighted by a 37-point explosion against BYU on Feb. 10.
His 67 steals were the second-highest total by a freshman in Baylor history, trailing only the 68 tallied by VJ Edgecombe in 2024-25.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. 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.
2027 Julius Erving Award Candidates
Amari Allen, Alabama
Bruce Branch III, BYU
Coen Carr, Michigan State
Davis Fogle, Gonzaga
Amani Hansberry, Virginia Tech
Juke Harris, Tennessee
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Shelton Henderson, Miami
Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona
Nikola Kusturica, UCLA
Colben Landrew, UConn
Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky
Billy Richmond III, Arkansas
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Dame Sarr, Duke
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Anthony Thompson, Ohio State
Aiden Tobiason, Syracuse
Tounde Yessoufou ,St. John's
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2026-27 season.
Players Mentioned
Guard
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