Indiana men's basketball forward Mackenzie Mgbako has been named to the preseason watchlist for the 2025 Julius Erving Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The award annually recognizes the top small forward in Division I men's college basketball.
Mgbako is entering his sophomore season in Bloomington, following a freshman campaign with the Hoosiers that saw him take home Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
Below is the full release from Indiana athletics.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the preseason watchlist for the 2025 Julius Erving Award, including Indiana sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako, on Wednesday.
Named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player, the Julius Erving Award celebrates its 11th year by recognizing the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watchlist of 20 athletes.
The winner of the 2025 Julius Erving Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Wendell Moore Jr., Duke (2022), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), 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).
The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year averaged 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in his debut collegiate season. He led the Hoosiers with 50 made 3-pointers and shot 32.7% from behind the arc. The Gladstone, N.J., native scored in double figures 25 times and added three 20-point outings in 33 starts a season ago.
Mgbako was one of two freshmen in the NCAA to score over 400 points, make at least 50 3-pointers, convert on 90-plus free throws, and grab at least 125 rebounds during the 2023-24 season.
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the home slate of the 2024-25 season with an exhibition against Marian at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 1. The regular season will start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 6 against SIUE at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
2025 JULIUS ERVING SMALL FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON CANDIDATES*
Trey Townsend, Arizona
BJ Freeman, Arizona State
Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn
Tyson Degenhart, Boise State
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Michael Ajayi, Gonzaga
MACKENZIE MGBAKO, INDIANA
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
A.J. Storr, Kansas
Jaxson Robinson, Kentucky
Matthew Cleveland, Miami
Frankie Fidler, Michigan State
Mark Mitchell, Missouri
Ian Jackson, North Carolina
Drake Powell, North Carolina
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Arthur Kaluma, Texas
Liam McNeeley, UConn
Tucker DeVries, West Virginia
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season
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