Karter Knox named to Julius Erving Award Watch List
Arkansas sophomore wing Karter Knox was one of 20 players named to the Julius Erving Award watch list on Wednesday.
The Julius Erving Award is given to the top small forward in Division I college basketball by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The watch list addition is the latest in preseason hype that is being given to Knox, who is also a Preseason All-SEC Third Team selection.
Last season, Knox appeared in all 36 games at Arkansas and started 24 of those games. He averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, but turned it up a notch in the NCAA Tournament, when he scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds against St. John’s and then dropped 20 points with four threes against Texas Tech in the Sweet 16.
After the season ended, Knox decided to test the NBA Draft waters, and, although he took longer to decide to return than head coach John Calipari would have liked, chose to return to Arkansas for another season to play his way into the NBA Draft Lottery conversation.
“I still needed to learn,” Knox said recently. “I didn’t think I was ready for the NBA yet. Just, why not do another year with one of the greatest coaches of all time coaching you. Great coaching staff, so why not (return)?”
The watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Julius Erving Award will be narrowed to 10 in January, and then five in late February. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected.
The Razorbacks open their season against Southern on Monday, Nov. 3. Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for more coverage of Arkansas basketball.
