SAN DIEGO – San Diego State senior forward Matt Mitchell was included in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's announcement of its Top 10 candidates for the 2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor, in its seventh year, recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to ten.
Selected a preseason All-Mountain West performer, Mitchell leads San Diego State in scoring at 14.9 points per game as well as averaging 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals this year. Among Mountain West performers he ranks No. 5 in free throw percentage (.821), No. 10 in scoring, No. 13 in defensive rebounds (4.31) and No. 19 in overall rebounding. Nationally, the native of Riverside, Calif., ranks No. 22 in free throws (69), No. 35 in free throw attempts (84) and No. 124 in free throw percentage.
In 2020-21, Mitchell has led the team in scoring four times, in rebounding four times and in assists twice. He has scored in double figures in each of the 13 games he has played, has three games of at least 20 points, and his 35 points against BYU on Dec. 18, 2020 is his career high. In addition, he recorded the second double double of his career with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Nevada on Jan. 7.
Entering Thursday's game against Wyoming, Mitchell is poised to become just the third player in SDSU's Division I history to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in his career. He already has 1,279 points and 107 steals, and needs nine rebounds and one assists to achieve the milestone. By doing so, he will join Winston Shepard and Trey Kell as the only Aztecs to reach the combined four milestones in their career.
In late February, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2021 Julius Erving Award will be presented April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award, in addition to the Women's Starting Five. College basketball fans can support their favorite players by participating in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies.
Mr. Erving attended the University of Massachusetts and averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, making him one of only six NCAA men's basketball players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. After two seasons, Erving made the jump to the American Basketball Association and was the league's most recognizable player when it merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. During his professional career, Erving won three championships, four most valuable player awards and three scoring titles. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include 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).
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the final two rounds, which will go live on Friday, January 29 at 1 p.m. EST on HoophallAwards.com.
The 2021 Julius Erving Award is scheduled to be presented on Friday, April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award, and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award.
For more information on the 2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #ErvingAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2021 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Derrick Alston Jr., Boise State
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
Isaiah Livers, Michigan
Aaron Henry, Michigan
Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers
Matt Mitchell, San Diego State
Ziaire Williams, Stanford
Yves Pons, Tennessee
Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech
Sam Hauser, Virginia
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