Baker-Mazara earns spot on Julius Irving Award Watch List

by Marlene Navor
Baker-Mazara earns spot on Julius Irving Award Watch ListBaker-Mazara earns spot on Julius Irving Award Watch List

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is one of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2025 Julius Erving Award.

The annual Julius Erving Award, named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player, celebrates its 11th year by recognizing the top small forwards in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball.

Baker-Mazara is a preseason All-Southeastern Conference Third Team selection and helped lead Auburn to a SEC Tournament Championship title in 2023-24. He was the Tigers’ third-leading scorer and rebounder averaging 10.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committee for the Julius Erving Award is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2025 Erving Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award are Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Wendell Moore Jr., Duke (2022), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).

For more information on the 2025 Julius Erving Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #ErvingAward on X and Instagram.

About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophallu, or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.