SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is celebrating the start of the 2021-22 College Basketball season by unveiling is annual Top 20 watchlist for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of20 candidates.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to annually recognize the best student-athletes in the collegiate game with positional awards bearing the names of some of the greatest players of all time,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEOof the Basketball Hall of Fame. “To be named to the watchlist of the Naismith Starting Five is a great honor and I know our Hall of Famers sincerely enjoy the opportunity to watch these players compete. We thank Mr. Malone for his unwavering support over the years and the unique perspective he brings to ultimately selecting a winner.”
Karl Malone attended Louisiana Tech University due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. Heled the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance and earned All-Southland honors in his three seasons while averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Malone achieved great success during his 19 seasons in the NBA as a 14-time NBAAll-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), 11-time All-NBA First Team player (1989-99) and a member of the NBA’s 50th AnniversaryAll-Time Team. He also won two Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996).
College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award include Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).
2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates*
| Azoulas Tubelis | Arizona |
| Jabari Smith | Auburn |
| David Roddy | Colorado St. |
| Paolo Banchero | Duke |
| Drew Timme | Gonzaga |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | Indiana |
| Kenneth Lofton Jr. | Louisiana Tech |
| Eli Scott | Loyola Marymount |
| Darius Days | LSU |
| Donta Scott | Maryland |
| DeAndre Williams | Memphis |
| Dawson Garcia | North Carolina |
| EJ Liddell | Ohio State |
| Quincy Guerrier | Oregon |
| Trevion Williams | Purdue |
| John Fulkerson | Tennessee |
| Tre Mitchell | Texas |
| Isaiah Mobley | USC |
| Jayden Gardner | Virginia |
| Keve Aluma | Virginia Tech |