Longhorns Country

Texas Men's Basketball Transfer Arthur Kaluma Named to Preseason Watch List

The senior transfer out of Kansas State has already earned himself a spot on the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award watch list ahead of his Longhorn debut.

Emma Hutchinson

Arthur Kaluma drives the ball to the basket during a practice session that was held at the Moody Center for the local media. Sports writers got their first glimpse of the 2024-25 team at this event.
Arthur Kaluma drives the ball to the basket during a practice session that was held at the Moody Center for the local media. Sports writers got their first glimpse of the 2024-25 team at this event. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team has now had three of its members garner preseason recognition, with senior transfer Arthur Kaluma receiving the most recent honor.

Kaluma was named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award watch list on Wednesday, announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The honor will be given to the top small forward in Division 1 men's college basketball after three rounds of voting that span across the regular season. Kaluma stands as the only Longhorn on the list of 20 potential candidates.

The transfer signed with Texas back in June after spending last season at Kansas State and his first two years at Creighton. Kaluma has played in 101 games throughout his collegiate career, starting in all but two, and currently has 1,233 points to his name, spending an average of 30 minutes on the court per contest. He also carries over 600 rebounds and converts around 43 percent from the floor and over 70 percent from the free throw line.

Following his most recent stint at Kansas State, Kaluma earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades after leading the team in rebounds, averaging seven per game, and coming in third in scoring, assists, steals, and minutes. He ended his time with the Wildcats as only one of four players in the conference to rank within the top 15 in both scoring and rebounding.

Kaluma boasts a resume that highlights success within a competitive college basketball environment, making him a crucial addition to a Texas squad looking to make a deep run in this season's March Madness tournament. The six-foot-seven forward averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game against both Villanova and LSU last year, and helped lead Creighton to the NCAA Elite Eight as a sophomore from 2022-2023.

As the season goes on, the watch list will be reduced to 10 players in February before five remaining finalists are announced in March. The winner of the award is set to be revealed at the NCAA Final Four tournament in San Antonio.

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Emma Hutchinson
EMMA HUTCHINSON

Emma Hutchinson is a senior journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin, covering the Texas Longhorns for SI/Fan Nation since June of 2024. Her previous sports journalism experience includes writing and editing for The Daily Texan, where she covered Texas athletic programs such as softball, women’s basketball, football, and baseball. Originally from Washington, D.C., Emma now resides in the Dallas metroplex. She enjoys rooting for the Mavericks, Rangers, and Stars, as well as supporting the Nationals and Commanders.

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