With the college basketball regular season nearing its conclusion, it is time to start considering which players are deserving of the biggest awards in the game. Last week we broke down the players to watch for the Wooden Award, given annually to the best player in college basketball. Now, it is time to examine the favorites for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Position Awards.

Next up is the Julius Erving Award — given annually to the best small forward in college basketball. Among the 10 finalists is Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht — whose offensive rating of 126.6 in SEC play is simply off the charts. The Volunteers' top scorer will be one of the favorites to win the award, but which other small forwards could follow in the footsteps of recent winners Jalen Wilson and Wendell Moore Jr.?

Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)

Many players struggled in the transfer portal era after moving from a mid-major to a high-major program. That was not the case for Dalton Knecht. After averaging 20.2 PPG last year for Northern Colorado, Knecht hit the ground running at Tennessee. The senior had 24 points at Wisconsin in his second game for the Volunteers. A few weeks later, Knecht 37 in a road loss to North Carolina.

An ankle injury slowed him near the end of non-conference play, but the former JUCO product followed up with a six-game stretch in the SEC where he averaged 31.8 PPG while shooting 45.5% from three and averaging less than a turnover per contest. When including only conference games, Knecht has the third-best Box Plus-Minus in the country.

The Vols will want more consistency from their star scorer, but if Dalton Knecht finishes the season strong, he will be the favorite to take home the Julius Erving Award.

Anton Watson (Gonzaga)

One of the best defensive players in the country, Anton Watson is not known for his scoring but has taken an increased offensive role in stride this year. Watson is averaging 14.7 PPG (up from 11.1 PPG last year) and is posting an offensive rating of 128.7 — an impressive three-point improvement considering that his usage rate also went up. The senior went off for 32 points in a win over UCLA in November and equaled that total against Santa Clara in WCC play.

On the other side of the ball, Watson is a versatile 6-8 defender who has the size to defend big men and the quickness to guard smaller wins. The Gonzaga forward is the fourth-best player in the country according to Evan Miyakawa's Bayesian Performance Ratings — much of that due to his defensive efforts. As a true two-way player, Anton Watson is an underrated rated candidate for Small Forward of the Year.

Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)

After a solid first season in Omaha, Baylor Scheierman has developed into a star in his second season with Creighton. The former Summit League Player of the Year is averaging a career-best 18.5 PPG and has a strong offensive rating of 115.9 despite playing in the ultra-competitive Big East. Scheierman has five games this season with at least five made three-pointers and has hit at least one three in all but one game in 23-24 — a testament to his consistency this year.

Scheierman leads the league in both three-point attempts and makes, and his shooting will be key for the Creighton Blue Jays if they want to make an NCAA Tournament run.