NEW YORK – Seton Hall senior guard Myles Powell and Villanova sophomore forward Saddiq Bey are winners of the two of the five College Basketball awards tied to the Basketball Hall of Fame, also known as the Naismith Starting Five.
 
Powell won the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and Bey won the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
 
"The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game, men and women at every level,” said John Doleva, President of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “While we share in the sentiment that we would have loved to see these student-athletes playout the 2019-20 season, we are proud to honor them for their accomplishments and present them with awards that will eternally tie them to the greats of the game.”
 
In addition to the esteemed Bob Cousy Point Guard Award which has been presented since 2004, the Basketball Hall of Fame established four additional awards in the 2014-15 season: include the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award. Each award’s namesake headed his own selection committee to evaluate candidates throughout the 2019-20 season. Fans also had the opportunity to weigh-in throughout the season with Starting Five Fan Voting Presented by Dell Technologies. 
 
2020 Men’s Naismith Starting Five:
 
Payton Pritchard (Oregon) – Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award
            20.5 pts/gm, 5.5 ast/gm, 82.1 ft%,
Myles Powell (Seton Hall) – Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award
            21 pts/gm, 4.3 reb/gm, 2.9 ast/gm
Saddiq Bey (Villanova) – Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award
            16.1 pts/gm, 4.7 reb/gm, 2.4 ast/gm, 45.1 3pt%
Obi Toppin (Dayton) – Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award
            20.0 pts/gm, 7.5 reb/gm, 2.2 ast/gm, 63.3 fg%
Luka Garza (Iowa) – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year
            23.9 pts/gm, 9.8 reb/gm, 1.8 blk/gm
 
 
Quotes from Hall of Famers on Myles Powell and Saddiq Bey
 
“Myles Powell was arguably the best scorer in college hoops this year. He didn’t shy away from the big moments, always willing to put up the critical shots and bringing an unparalleled level of energy to his team every game. Myles and his Seton Hall teammates were a pleasure to watch this season.” – Jerry West, Class of 1993
 
“As a sophomore, Saddiq Bey was an all-around competitor delivering buckets and consistency when Villanova needed it most. 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.” – Julius Erving, Class of 1993
 
Quotes from Myles Powell and Saddiq
“I am truly honored to be the 2020 Jerry West Award winner. To have my name next to one of the greatest basketball players of all time is a blessing. Thank you to Mr. West and the award committee for selecting me. I’ll treasure this honor forever.” – Myles Powell, Jerry West Award Winner

 “This is an honor. 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. Together we just focused each day on playing for each other and tried to get better. This is for my team and I’m just happy to be a part of the brotherhood we share.” – Saddiq Bey, Julius Erving Award Winner

For more information, visit www.HoophallAwards.com or follow @hoophall on Instagram and Twitter.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.