Auburn senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara was named among the finalists for the Julius Erving Award this week. The award, which is given to the best small forward in college basketball, has never been won by an Auburn Tiger since its creation in 2014.

Every year, college basketball fans eagerly anticipate the reveal of the finalists for the prestigious Julius Erving Award. This year’s selections sparked intense discussions, as some of the most electrifying players in the nation made the cut.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A testament to his outstanding play this season, Kentucky men’s basketball graduate guard Jaxson Robinson was named one of five finalists for the 2025 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year, as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

Duke basketball phenom Cooper Flagg was recently named a finalist for the Julius Erving Award honoring the nation's best small forward

The player who has long been mentioned as a likely No. 1 overall NBA draft pick isn’t ready to talk about his future plans just yet.

Cooper Flagg has been arguably the best college basketball player in the country at just 18. There is an excellent chance that he will be the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft this summer. That said, former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins thinks Flagg should stay in college (if the Utah Jazz don't get the top pick).

With Cooper Flagg showing dominance for the Duke Blue Devils this season, it has to be wondered whether he will head to the NBA after the season ends. If so, which teams could be interested in drafting him?