Eastern Michigan Athletics
Elijah Minnie Named to Julius Erving Award Watch List
10/17/2018 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EMU's top scorer in 2017-18 is back for his senior season in the Green and White
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University men's basketball standout Elijah Minnie (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Lincoln Park (Robert Morris)) has been named one of 20 watch list members the nation on the 2019 Julius Erving Award Preseason watch list.
Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Minnie averaged a team-best 16.8 points per game in his first season on the court for the Eagles, also averaging 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native finished third in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game, fourth in free throw percentage (84.3 percent), fifth in both scoring average and steals per game, and 14th in rebounding.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).
2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Dylan Windler, Belmont
Cam Reddish, Duke
Elijah Minnie, Eastern Michigan
Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
Sam Hauser, Marquette
Aaron Wiggins, Maryland
Caleb Martin, Nevada
Nassir Little, North Carolina
Louis King, Oregon
Tres Tinkle, Oregon St
Lamar Stevens, Penn St
O'Shea Brissett, Syracuse
Admiral Schofield, Tennessee
Jordon Varnado, Troy
Kris Wilkes, UCLA
De'Andre Hunter, Virginia
Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest
Matisse Thybulle, Washington
Robert Franks Jr., Washington St.
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo 'Court of Dreams' Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad.
Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Minnie averaged a team-best 16.8 points per game in his first season on the court for the Eagles, also averaging 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native finished third in the Mid-American Conference in blocks per game, fourth in free throw percentage (84.3 percent), fifth in both scoring average and steals per game, and 14th in rebounding.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).
2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Dylan Windler, Belmont
Cam Reddish, Duke
Elijah Minnie, Eastern Michigan
Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
Sam Hauser, Marquette
Aaron Wiggins, Maryland
Caleb Martin, Nevada
Nassir Little, North Carolina
Louis King, Oregon
Tres Tinkle, Oregon St
Lamar Stevens, Penn St
O'Shea Brissett, Syracuse
Admiral Schofield, Tennessee
Jordon Varnado, Troy
Kris Wilkes, UCLA
De'Andre Hunter, Virginia
Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest
Matisse Thybulle, Washington
Robert Franks Jr., Washington St.
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo 'Court of Dreams' Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad.
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