Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List on Thursday.
The award is given to the nation's top power forward at the end of the season.
Jackson-Davis returns to Indiana after averaging 19.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season.
Below is the full release.
Springfield, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 20 watch list members 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 of 20 candidates.Sophomore All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, the leading returning scorer in the Big Ten, was a finalist for the award during his second season on campus.
The Center Grove product has been named first-team 2021-22 Preseason All-American by noted analyst Dick Vitale and ESPN.com, Preseason First Team All-American by Athlon's and Second Team by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. He started all 27 games last season and was the only high major player to average at least 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds during last season. He was fourth in the Big Ten in scoring (19.1), second in rebounding (9.0), fifth in field goal percentage (51.7%) and blocked shots (1.4) and was third in minutes played (34.2). In league games only, he finished third in scoring (18.4), second in rebounding (9.2), fourth in field goal percentage (50.6%) and blocked shots (1.4) and third in minutes played (34.2). He is the first returning first, second, or third team All- American for the Hoosiers since Calbert Cheaney in 1993.
"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 CEO of 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. He led 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 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 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. 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, October 22.
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 Lidell (Ohio State), Quincy Guerrier (Oregon), Trevion Williams (Purdue), John Fulkerson (Tennessee), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Isaiah Mobley (USC), Jayden Gardner (Virginia). Keve Aluma (Virginia Tech)
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2021-2022 season*
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.
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