Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic Among Top Julius Erving Award Candidates

Stojakovic is one of 10 players in the running for the award given to the nation's best small forward.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Andrej Stojakovic, a transfer addition for Illinois, has been named one of 10 candidates for the Julius Erving Award, given to the nation's best small forward. The watch list will be cut to five finalists in mid-March, with the winner announced ahead of the Final Four. The article breaks down the case for and against Stojakovic and the other top candidates, including Baylor's Tounde Yessoufou, BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Florida's Thomas Haugh, Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic, Louisville's Ryan Conwell, Michigan State's Coen Carr, Tennessee's Nate Ament, Texas' Dailyn Swain, and USC's Chad Baker-Mazara.

Why it matters

The Julius Erving Award is a prestigious honor that recognizes the nation's top small forward. Stojakovic's inclusion on the candidate list highlights his strong play this season, which has helped keep Illinois in contention for the Big Ten title and a high NCAA Tournament seed. The competition among the 10 candidates showcases the depth of talent at the small forward position across college basketball.

The details

Stojakovic is averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. He has had big games in Quad 1 wins over Texas Tech, Ohio State, and Iowa, keeping Illinois in the hunt for the Big Ten crown. However, Stojakovic's three-point shooting (24.6%) is the worst among the 10 candidates.

  • Stojakovic was named one of 10 candidates for the Julius Erving Award on February 4, 2026.
  • The watch list will be cut to five finalists in mid-March 2026.
  • The winner of the Julius Erving Award will be announced ahead of the Final Four in 2026, with an exact timeline to be announced.

The players

Andrej Stojakovic

A transfer addition for the Illinois Fighting Illini who has helped keep the team in contention for the Big Ten title.

Tounde Yessoufou

A guard for the Baylor Bears who leads the 10 candidates in steals and is one of the nation's top perimeter defenders.

AJ Dybantsa

A forward for the BYU Cougars who is the nation's second-leading scorer and is highly efficient inside the three-point line.

Thomas Haugh

A forward for the Florida Gators who has a national championship pedigree and a well-rounded game, leading the SEC in minutes per game on the conference's second-place team.

Milan Momcilovic

A forward for the Iowa State Cyclones who leads the nation in three-point field goals and percentage.

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What’s next

The watch list for the Julius Erving Award will be cut to five finalists in mid-March 2026, and the winner will be announced ahead of the Final Four, with an exact timeline to be announced.

The takeaway

The competition for the Julius Erving Award showcases the depth of talent at the small forward position in college basketball this season. While Stojakovic may not be the favorite to win the award, his inclusion on the candidate list highlights his strong play and importance to the Illinois team as they pursue a Big Ten title.