Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Auburn on February 24, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 79
Final
Men's Basketball
91
vs Auburn
79
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU's Moore Named Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Top-10 Candidate
February 05, 2025 | Men's Basketball
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma senior Jalon Moore was named a Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year top-10 candidate by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
On the season, Moore, a 6-7, 215-pounder from Birmingham, Ala., ranks fourth in the SEC with his 17.9 points per game and his .530 field goal percentage. He leads the Sooners with his 5.7 rebounds per contest, is shooting .433 from 3-point range (.519 over the last 10 games) and .828 from the free throw line (ranks fourth in the SEC with his 101 makes).
Moore, who surpassed the 1,000-career-points mark Saturday vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt, is tied the SEC lead in league play with his 18.2 points per outing and ranks second with his .570 field goal percentage. He has shot better than 50% from the field in eight of the last 11 games and has a team-high 11 20-point performances on the season.
Moore was named MVP of the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas in late November, leading the Sooners to a 3-0 record and the team title. He scored a then-career-high 24 points in the semifinals against No. 24 Arizona and again in the championship game versus Louisville.
On Jan. 15 against Texas, Moore registered another career high with 29 points, including a staggering 26 in the second half, and added a game-high eight rebounds. After halftime, he made all eight of his field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers.
Moore is in his second year as a Sooner after playing two seasons at Georgia Tech. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest as a Yellow Jacket (shot .434 from the field and .175 from 3-point range) and has blossomed with the Sooners. In his two years in Norman, Moore is averaging 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and is shooting .524 from the floor and .422 from 3-point distance (54 for 128). He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season.
The 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 Division I men's college basketball. Previous winners 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).
The list of top-10 candidates will be narrowed to five in March, and a winner will be named on a to-be-determined date. The selection committee is comprised of media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Top-10 Candidates
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn
Miles Byrd, San Diego State
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Ian Jackson, North Carolina
RJ Luis Jr., St. Johns
Liam McNeeley, UConn
Jalon Moore, Oklahoma
Jaxson Robinson, Kentucky
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
On the season, Moore, a 6-7, 215-pounder from Birmingham, Ala., ranks fourth in the SEC with his 17.9 points per game and his .530 field goal percentage. He leads the Sooners with his 5.7 rebounds per contest, is shooting .433 from 3-point range (.519 over the last 10 games) and .828 from the free throw line (ranks fourth in the SEC with his 101 makes).
Moore, who surpassed the 1,000-career-points mark Saturday vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt, is tied the SEC lead in league play with his 18.2 points per outing and ranks second with his .570 field goal percentage. He has shot better than 50% from the field in eight of the last 11 games and has a team-high 11 20-point performances on the season.
Moore was named MVP of the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas in late November, leading the Sooners to a 3-0 record and the team title. He scored a then-career-high 24 points in the semifinals against No. 24 Arizona and again in the championship game versus Louisville.
On Jan. 15 against Texas, Moore registered another career high with 29 points, including a staggering 26 in the second half, and added a game-high eight rebounds. After halftime, he made all eight of his field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers.
Moore is in his second year as a Sooner after playing two seasons at Georgia Tech. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest as a Yellow Jacket (shot .434 from the field and .175 from 3-point range) and has blossomed with the Sooners. In his two years in Norman, Moore is averaging 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and is shooting .524 from the floor and .422 from 3-point distance (54 for 128). He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season.
The 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 Division I men's college basketball. Previous winners 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).
The list of top-10 candidates will be narrowed to five in March, and a winner will be named on a to-be-determined date. The selection committee is comprised of media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Top-10 Candidates
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn
Miles Byrd, San Diego State
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Ian Jackson, North Carolina
RJ Luis Jr., St. Johns
Liam McNeeley, UConn
Jalon Moore, Oklahoma
Jaxson Robinson, Kentucky
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Players Mentioned
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