Duke's Matthew Hurt, Wendell Moore, Jalen Johnson Named to Watch Lists

Three more Blue Devils have been named to preseason watch lists for the awards that make up the Naismith Starting Five, joining DJ Steward, who was named to the list for the Jerry West Award, given to the top shooting guard, earlier in the week.

Sophomore Matthew Hurt was named to the watch list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

Hurt was named to the list for the Julius Erving Small Forward Award last season, but he’s bulked up, adding 20 pounds of muscle over the summer.

A native of Rochester, Minn., Hurt appeared in all 31 games last season, making 22 starts. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest and reached double figures in scoring 17 times. A threat from the perimeter, Hurt's 39-percent shooting clip from three-point range was the 10th-best by a Duke freshman in program history (minimum 30 three-point field goals). He earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors following a career-high 25 points in a win over Boston College on Dec. 31.

Hurt will be looking to become the second Duke player in three years to win the award, following Zion Williamson in 2019.

Hurt is one of three ACC players on the list, joining Aamir Simms of Clemson and UNC’s Garrison Brooks.

Meanwhile, sophomore Wendell Moore Jr. and freshman Jalen Johnson were each selected to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award watch list. The Blue Devils are the only program with multiple selections to the watch list.

A Blue Devil has never won the award.

Derrick Alston Jr. – Boise State

Jalen Johnson – Duke

Wendell Moore Jr. – Duke

Jayden Gardner – East Carolina

Keyontae Johnson – Florida

Corey Kispert – Gonzaga

Brandon Boston Jr. – Kentucky

D.J. Jeffries – Memphis

Aaron Wiggins – Maryland

Franz Wagner – Michigan

Aaron Henry – Michigan State

Ron Harper Jr. – Rutgers

Matt Mitchell – San Diego State

Ziaire Williams – Stanford

Yves Pons – Tennessee

Terrence Shannon, Jr. – Texas Tech

Chris Smith – UCLA

Timmy Allen – Utah

Jermaine Samuels – Villanova

Sam Hauser – Virginia

Mark Vital – Baylor

Aamir Simms – Clemson

Matthew Hurt – Duke

Drew Timme – Gonzaga

Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana

Isaiah Jackson – Kentucky

Trendon Watford – LSU

Tre Mitchell – Massachusetts

Garrison Brooks – North Carolina

Seth Towns – Ohio State

Brady Manek – Oklahoma

Hasahn French – Saint Louis

Sandro Mamukelashvili – Seton Hall

Oscar da Silva – Stanford

John Fulkerson – Tennessee

Greg Brown – Texas

Kevin Marfo – Texas A&M

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – Villanova

Oscar Tshiebwe – West Virginia

Nate Reuvers – Wisconsin

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