Maryland men’s basketball forward Justin Jackson is one of 21 players on the Julius Erving Award watch list. The honor goes to college basketball’s top small forward.
Jackson averaged 10.5 points and a team-high six rebounds per game last season while shooting 43.8 percent from the 3-point line.
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound swingman’s most impressive performances came when playing small forward, offering him freedom to shoot from the perimeter or drive to the basket. The Ontario, Canada, native combined for 50 points and 22 rebounds in wins over Minnesota and Ohio State in late January.
[Read more: Maryland men’s basketball projected to tie for fifth place in Big Ten media poll]
With injuries in the frontcourt, though, Jackson was forced to play power forward for chunks of the campaign. With guard Melo Trimble gone, the Terps will likely start one point guard this season, allowing Jackson to return to small forward.
Multiple publications project Jackson to be a first round pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.
Villanova’s Josh Hart, Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine and Arizona’s Stanley Johnson were the past three winners of the Julius Erving Award.
A full list of this year’s candidates can be found here.
