Justin Hemphill Trevor Hudgins Award watch list

Hemphill Named To Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List

2/1/2026 1:03:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen University redshirt senior forward Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) has been named to the 2026 Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 Watch List, announced today by Small College Basketball (SCB), a national organization that spotlights the achievements of non-NCAA Division I men's basketball teams and student-athletes. Since 2024, the Trevor Hudgins Award has been presented annually to the senior men's basketball player with the best overall career within SCB.

Hemphill has developed into one of the best players in the history of the Daemen men's basketball program, appearing in 122 games over parts of six seasons. He was limited by injuries to just 12 games in his first two seasons, suffering season-ending injuries in each, but has since emerged as a do-it-all threat at both ends of the court. A two-time All-ECC selection and a consensus All-Region honoree last season, Hemphill has tallied 1,215 points, 832 rebounds, 360 assists, 169 steals and 138 blocks in his career. He ranks 16th in scoring among Daemen's all-time leaders, as well as being top 10 in rebounds (fifth), assists (fifth), blocked shots (fifth) and steals (sixth).

Hemphill becomes the first Daemen player named to the Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List. He's also the first player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. His production has been integral to the Wildcats' team success, helping them post a 95-14 overall record with two NCAA tournament berths and an East Coast Conference championship in the last four seasons.

"Congratulations to the 25 players that have made the Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List, as this is an elite list of players in their final year of eligibility that have played their entire careers at the small college level - and they have excelled, and helped to lead their respective teams to great success," said John McCarthy, founder of SCB. "Thank you to our SCB National Awards Committee for providing excellent information and insight, and thank you to all of those coaches, SIDs and others that have submitted nominations."

This marks the second Small College Basketball award that Hemphill is up for this season. He was also recently named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List, alongside teammates Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.). The Bevo Francis Award is presented annually to the Small College Basketball player deemed to have had the best season.

Hemphill has been especially stat-stuffing this season, averaging 11.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He is presently the only player to rank among the East Coast Conference's top five leaders in rebounds (third), assists (second), blocked shots (fourth) and steals (fifth), and has also posted a team-best seven double-doubles this season.

The Trevor Hudgins Award is named in honor of the former Northwest Missouri State University star who had a historic career with the Bearcats. During his career, Hudgins led the Bearcats to three NCAA Division II National Championships and a remarkable 17-0 record in NCAA tournament play. Prior recipients of the Trevor Hudgins Award are KJ Jones of Emmanuel College (2024) and Kaleb Lowery of The Master's University (2025).

The Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List will be reduced to 15 players, announced on March 1. Finalists for the award will be announced on April 4, and the award winner will be revealed through a video presentation at halftime of the NCAA Division I national championship game on Monday, April 6.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen University men's basketball program on Twitter and Facebook at @DaemenMBB.

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