Duke's Cooper Flagg, Rutgers' Ace Bailey Headline 2025 Julius Erving Award Finalists

The finalists for the Julius Erving Award—given to the top men's small forward in college basketball—were announced on Wednesday.

Duke's Cooper Flagg, Rutgers' Ace Bailey, Kentucky's Jaxson Robinson, Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara and St. John's RJ Luis Jr. are your 2024-25 finalists.

Flagg will be the frontrunner. The Duke freshman and presumed top overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists. 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, impacting the game on both ends of the court while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three.

Behind Flagg, Duke is 27-3, ranked No. 2 in the nation and one of the favorites to win a national title. His impact is undeniable.

Bailey makes a strong case, however.

The Rutgers freshman and likely top-three pick is averaging 18 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and a steal per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three. The Scarlet Knights have been a huge disappointment this season, going just 14-16 in the Big Ten despite the superstar tandem of Bailey and Dylan Harper, but there's no denying the former's strong season.

Robinson, a senior, is posting 13 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three. Kentucky's had a decent season in the loaded SEC, going 20-10, with Robinson helping to lead a balanced group.

Baker-Mazara has been a crucial performer for the top-ranked Auburn Tigers, putting up 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The senior is shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three, and has the Tigers looking like the favorites to win a national championship.

Finally, Luis is having a strong junior season for St. John's, posting 17.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 30 percent from three. The Red Storm have been fantastic this season, ranked No. 6 after a 26-4 campaign, and Luis has been the main catalyst for that success.