Villanova forward Saddiq Bey has been named the 2020 recipient of the Julius Erving Award as the nation’s top small forward. The school made the announcement shortly after receiving word from the Basketball Hall of Fame.

“As a sophomore, Saddiq Bey was an all-around competitor delivering buckets and consistency when Villanova needed it most,” stated Julius Erving, a 1993 inductee in the Basketball Hall of Fame. “To come into a well-established program and find your place as an underclassman is no easy task, and it’s clear Saddiq earned the respect of his teammates and competition. I’m proud to honor Saddiq with the 2020 Julius Erving Award.”

Bey beat out a group of finalists for the award that included Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, Louisville’s Jordan Nwora, Memphis’ Precious Achiuwa, and Xavier’s Naji Marshall.

“This is an honor,” added Bey. “To see the past players who have won this award and to know that it’s named after one of the all-time greats, Julius Erving, is humbling. It’s a blessing, to be sure. Without my teammates and coaches, something like this would not have been possible. This is for my team and I’m just happy to be a part of the brotherhood we share.”

Bey averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. His 45.1 percent shooting from three was the fourth-best in the country.

“We’re all proud of Saddiq for winning the Julius Erving Award,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “We couldn’t be happier for him – he’s a genuinely good person. Saddiq represents Julius’ skill, creativity and versatility at the small forward position. Most of all, Saddiq represents Julius’ class on and off the court that garners the ultimate respect from his teammates.”

Joining Bey in the “starting 5” is point guard Payton Pritchard (Oregon, Bob Cousy Award), shooting guard Myles Powell (Seton Hall, Jerry West Award), power forward Obi Toppin (Dayton, Karl Malone Award), and center Luka Garza (Iowa, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award).

Bey adds this honor to his First Team All-Big East selection.

Interestingly, Bey is the third Wildcat to earn the honor since its inception following the 2014-15 season. Bey joins Josh Hart (2017) and Mikal Bridges (2018) as Wildcats to win the award. That makes three Wildcat winners out of the six times the award has been given out. In addition, Bey was the first sophomore to win the award. Previously the award had been given to a freshman once, a junior twice, and a senior twice.

After missing out on the opportunity to compete for a national title after the NCAA Tournament was canceled, this is a nice piece of well-deserved recognition for Bey and for the Villanova program.