SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Auburn freshman forward Jabari Smith (Fayetteville, Ga.) is one of five finalists for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Thursday.
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 NCAA Division I men's college basketball.
One of the top freshmen in the country and Auburn's leading scorer averaging 16.9 points per game, Smith is joined on the list by Paolo Banchero of Duke, Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Keegan Murray of Iowa and EJ Liddell of Ohio State.
He is the first Auburn freshman player in program history to record 500 points and 200 rebounds. Smith has also recorded five double-doubles performances and 12 20+ point outings this season including a career-high 31 against Vanderbilt on Feb. 16.
"We're excited to recognize these five tremendous power forwards as the best in the collegiate game today, not only at their positions, but in the game in general," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "Unfortunately, only one can take home the award come April and we're grateful to have Karl Malone spearheading a committee that will take great care when evaluating these players in the games that matter most."
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in late January and now just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, March 4 on hoophallawards.com.
"Regardless of who takes home this award, I'm honored to have an award with my name attached to it be carried on with the legacy of any of these outstanding five young men," said Karl Malone, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2010. "This may be the best crop of candidates in my eight years associated with this award and I'm as honored as I am excited to present it to one of the most premier players in the country."
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. Additional information about the award presentation, including date and time, will be released in the coming weeks.
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.
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.