SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday the 10 watch list members for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award and included in that list is LSU sophomore Tari Eason.
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 in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
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 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).
Eason, from Los Angeles, California, who transferred in to LSU from Cincinnati after his freshman season, is averaging a team leading 15.9 points a game and 6.9 rebounds to go with 1.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 steals per contest. In league play, he is averaging almost similar numbers of 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds to go with 1.2 assists and 1.6 steals. He has posted two 20-10 games in league play.
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.
2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates*
Azoulas Tubelis Arizona
Jabari Smith Auburn
David Roddy Colorado St.
Paolo Banchero Duke
Chet Holmgren Gonzaga
Trayce Jackson-Davis Indiana
Keegan Murray Iowa
Tari Eason LSU
EJ Liddell Ohio State
Isaiah Mobley USC
*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.
(Release via LSU Athletics)