Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert named finalist for Julius Erving Award

Gonzaga junior Corey Kispert is one of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

Kispert is joined by Louisville’s Jordan Nwora, Memphis’ Precious Achiuwa, Villanova’s Saddiq Bey and Xavier’s Naji Marshall.

The winner will be determined by a combination of fan voting and the Basketball Hall of Fame selection committee. Fan voting begins Friday at hoophallawards.com.

Former Zags standout Rui Hachimura won the Erving Award last season.

Kispert’s 14.3-point scoring average is second on the team. He leads the way with 77 3-pointers and shares the top free-throw percentage (81.8) with Joel Ayayi.

Kispert, a two-time West Coast Conference All-Academic selection, was named first-team All-WCC earlier this week.