These are the top 10 small forwards in men’s college basketball who will likely find themselves in contention for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award for the 2023-24 season.
1. Tristan da Silva, Colorado: The Colorado wing has a real shot to be one of the best players in the Pac-12. His numbers have steadily climbed each year for Tad Boyle.
2. Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic: Davis led the Owls to the Final Four and his productivity is only going to continue to climb. He’s a go-to wing.
3. Grant Nelson, Alabama: Nelson averaged 17 and nine at North Dakota State and flirted with the NBA Draft. The jump to the SEC is major but he’s ready for the challenge.
4. Jamison Battle, Ohio State: Battle was not healthy last season and his scoring dropped. But he’s got a great chance to be one of the best in the Big Ten after transferring from Minnesota.
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5. Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin: A healthy Wahl means the Badgers are a legit NCAA tournament team. He’s an all-around, proficient scorer who can hurt teams in a variety of ways.
6. Harrison Ingram, North Carolina: Ingram had a heavy load at Stanford. He can play off Armando Bacot in Chapel Hill and really thrive.
7. Tucker DeVries, Drake: He’s the coach’s son, Darren, but he deserves every minute. He is a stat stuffer who can go off for 20-plus. He could and should be the MVP of the Valley.
8. Tre Mitchell, Kentucky: Mitchell is on his fourth school, bolting West Virginia after Bob Huggins was fired. He will be given freedom with John Calipari to do his thing — which is score and make plays.
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9. Coen Carr, Michigan State: Carr is a highlight machine who should have an immediate impact with the Spartans. Expect him to be fed early and often on the break.
10. Johnny Furphy, Kansas: The Australian has size, length, shooting touch and finds a way to be around the basket often. He will fit in quickly with the Jayhawks.
