KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Vols' senior basketball player Admiral Schofield is one of five players who has been named a 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award finalist, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
The award is given to the best small forward in Division I basketball. It's named after Hall of Famer Julius Erving.
Schofield is averaging 16.4 points per game, which ranks second on the team and fifth in the SEC, to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He also ranks fifth in the conference in field-goal percentage, shooting a 48-percent clip for the year. He's the team's leading 3-point shooter, with 56 makes this season.
He's a team leader in every game, but has had some really big games that led to big victories and honors.
He scored 30 points and made six three-pointers in a win over No. 1 Gonzaga, then turned around scored 29 points in a victory over Memphis. That week, Schofield was named the 2018 Jerry Colangelo Classic Most Valuable Player. He was also named SEC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks (Dec. 10 and Dec. 17) and the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Dec. 11.
Schofield is the only SEC player included amongst the finalists. The winner will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show on Friday, April 12.
2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
Marial Shayok, Iowa St.
Caleb Martin, Nevada
Admiral Schofield, Tennessee
De'Andre Hunter, Virginia