Gonzaga junior Julian Strawther on 20-player Erving Award preseason watch list

Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther was named to the preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Award, presently annually to the nation’s top small forward.

Strawther is the third Zag to make a preseason watch list. Rasir Bolton and Malachi Smith are on the watch list for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.

Strawther, 6-foot-7 wing from Las Vegas, moved into the starting lineup last season as a sophomore and produced 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was honorable mention All-West Coast Conference.

Strawther hit nearly 50% from the field, including 36.5% on 3-pointers, and 70.5% at the free-throw line. He made at least three 3-pointers in nine games. He posted two double-doubles (20 points, 10 boards against Duke, 17 and 10 versus Dixie State) and matched his season high in points with 20 against BYU.

Strawther, who withdrew from the NBA draft to return for his junior season, could line up against several players on the 20-player Erving watch list, beginning with Friday’s exhibition versus Tennessee in Frisco, Texas, and Vols senior Josiah Jordan-James. Gonzaga will face Alabama (Brandon Miller), Texas (Timmy Allen) and Kentucky (Chris Livingston). The Zags also could potentially meet Xavier (Colby Jones) and Duke (Dariq Whitehead) at the PK85 in Portland.

Former Gonzaga standouts Rui Hachimura (2019) and Corey Kispert (2021) were Erving Award winners. Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. won the award last season.