A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in October, which Shayok was not originally a part of. The Ottawa, Ontario native was added to the list of 10 candidates in February and on Wednesday it was trimmed to five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
The winner of the 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans are encouraged to visit HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 8-29.
The five finalists for the 2019 Julius Erving Award are Shayok, Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Caleb Martin, Nevada), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee) and De’Andre Hunter (Virginia).
Shayok is second among Big 12 players averaging 18.7 points per game this season, scoring 20 or more points in 14 games. He is also pulling down 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
One of the nation’s most efficient shooters from all levels, Shayok is shooting 49.7 percent from the field, 39 percent behind the arc and 88.5 percent at the free-throw line. He is trying to become just the second player since 2009-10 to average 18 points and shoot 50-40-90.
Among Big 12 players he ranks seventh in field goal percentage, ninth in 3-point field goal percentage and third in free throw percentage.
