SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Auburn freshman forward Jabari Smith (Fayetteville, Ga.) was named one of 10 watch list candidates for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Thursday.
Smith is currently the No. 1-ranked Tigers' leading scorer averaging 15.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc this season. Smith has scored in double figures in 19-of-22 games played including four double-double performances and seven 20-point outings.
He was joined on the short list by Azuolas Tubelis of Arizona, Jabari Smith of Auburn, David Roddy of Colorado State, Paolo Banchero of Duke, Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana, Keegan Murray of Iowa, Tari Eason of LSU, EJ Liddell of Ohio State and Isaiah Mobley of US.
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. Karl Malone attended Louisiana Tech University due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. Malone achieved great success during his 19 seasons in the NBA as a 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), 11-time All-NBA First Team player (1989-99) and a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-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 February, the watch list of 10 players for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to 5. In March those finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2022 Karl Malone Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award, in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
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).
For more information on the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MaloneAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, February 4.
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.