Oregon’s Louis King was named to the watch list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award.

King — a freshman from Jersey City, New Jersey — is dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out until the beginning of December.

​

​

He is among 20 players who were named to the preseason watch list, announced Wednesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The list will be trimmed to 10 players in February while the five finalists will be named March. The winner will be named during the College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles on April 12.

​

​

When he returns, King flashes star potential and could potentially play his way into a lottery pick for the upcoming NBA Draft. At 6-9, he’s drawn comparisons to Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. King can put the ball on the floor and score at the rim while also shooting well from beyond the arc.