Louisville’s Ryan Conwell Named to Julius Erving Award Midseason Top 10
Ryan Conwell’s senior season at Louisville is turning heads-and now it’s earning national recognition. The veteran wing has been named to the midseason Top 10 list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. It’s a nod that not only validates Conwell’s breakout year but also cements his place among the nation’s elite at his position.
This isn’t Conwell’s first brush with award watch lists-he opened the season on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year preseason list. But as the season has unfolded, his role has shifted, and his impact as a small forward has become impossible to ignore.
The Julius Erving Award, named after one of the most dynamic wings to ever play the game, honors the top small forward in college basketball. The list will be trimmed to five finalists in mid-March, with the winner announced ahead of the Final Four.
Conwell is the lone representative from the ACC on the list, a testament to both his individual performance and his ability to stand out in a challenging season for Louisville. Through 20 games, the Indianapolis native is averaging 19.1 points per game, leading the Cardinals in scoring while shouldering a significant offensive load. He’s shooting just under 40% from the field, with 117 makes on 293 attempts, and connecting on 35.8% of his shots from beyond the arc.
But Conwell’s game isn’t just about getting buckets. He’s been active across the board-dishing out 51 assists, collecting 27 steals, and pulling down 5.0 rebounds per game.
He’s scored in double figures in all but one game this season, including nine games with 20 or more points. His season-high?
A 32-point outburst against NJIT on Thanksgiving Eve, where he also grabbed a season-best nine rebounds. That performance was a snapshot of what makes Conwell so valuable-scoring, rebounding, and a relentless motor.
Over his four-year college career, Conwell has been a steady and efficient presence. He’s shooting 38.4% from three and 43.6% overall from the field-a sign of both his shooting touch and his ability to find quality looks within the flow of the offense.
Fan voting for the Julius Erving Award-and the rest of the Naismith Starting 5-opens Friday, February 6th at www.hoophallawards.com. Fans can vote throughout each round of the selection process, and the top vote-getter will receive an extra vote from the committee. It’s a unique way for fans to help shape the outcome of some of college basketball’s most prestigious individual honors.
Here’s the full list of players joining Conwell on the Julius Erving Award Midseason Top 10:
- Tounde Tessoufou, Baylor
- AJ Dybantsa, BYU
- Thomas Haugh, Florida
- Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
- Ryan Conwell, Louisville
- Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
- Coen Carr, Michigan State
- Nate Ament, Tennessee
- Dailyn Swain, Texas
- Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
With a month and change left in the regular season, Conwell’s place on this list is well-earned-and if he keeps up this level of play, he could be making a serious case to take home the hardware.