Junior Florida forward Keyontae Johnson, a Coaches First Team All-SEC selection from last season, has been named to the watch list for the Julius Erving Award, given annually to the top small forward in college basketball.
Johnson was one of 20 players named to the watch list, which will be narrowed to 10 players by late January. In late February, it will be cut to five finalists.
The winner will be announced on April 9, 2021.
Johnson chose to return to Florida for his junior season, and he’s expected to be one of the top players in the conference. He led the team in scoring as a sophomore with 14 points per game, and he was second in rebounding, averaging 7.1 per contest.
He’s one of two Florida players to be named to a preseason watch list for a national award, as Scottie Lewis was announced as a nominee for the Jerry West Award, given to the top shooting guard, on Tuesday.
Here’s the full watch list for the Erving Award.
| Derrick Alston Jr. | Boise State |
| Jalen Johnson | Duke |
| Wendell Moore | Duke |
| Jayden Gardner | East Carolina |
| Keyontae Johnson | Florida |
| Corey Kispert | Gonzaga |
| Brandon Boston Jr. | Kentucky |
| D.J. Jeffries | Memphis |
| Aaron Wiggins | Maryland |
| Franz Wagner | Michigan |
| Aaron Henry | Michigan State |
| Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers |
| Matt Mitchell | San Diego State |
| Ziaire Williams | Stanford |
| Yves Pons | Tennessee |
| Terrence Shannon, Jr. | Texas Tech |
| Chris Smith | UCLA |
| Timmy Allen | Utah |
| Jermaine Samuels | Villanova |
| Sam Hauser | Virginia |
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