Alabama Guard Brandon Miller Named to Julius Erving Award Watch List

Annual award recognizes the top small forward in all of college basketball.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama men's basketball guard Brandon Miller is one of 20 candidates named to the 2023 Julius Erving Award Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday morning. The award recognizes the top small forward in Division I men’s college basketball.

Miller was a 2021 McDonald's All-American and a consensus five-star prospect. 

He's one of the top-rated players to ever sign at Alabama. Miller was ranked as the No. 3 small forward in the 2022 class and the No. 11 overall player nationally by 247Sports.

ESPN ranked him as the No. 13 overall player and No. 4 small forward in the 2022 class. 

He was also the 2021 and 2022 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and the No. 1-ranked prospect in the state. Miller averaged 24.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for Cane Ridge High School, leading the Ravens to a 15-1 record and a Class AAA state championship game. 

In addition to being named First Team All-State by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association, he was invited to the Nike Elite 100 camp as freshman and attended the Pangos All-American and NBPA Top 100 Camp. 

Julius Erving attended the University of Massachusetts (1968-70) 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. He was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and was listed as one of the league’s 75 greatest players in 2021.

In late January, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee and the winner will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the four members of the Men’s Starting Five.

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award include 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).