The Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, or the Karl Malone Award, is an annual basketball award presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This prestigious accolade is awarded upon the top men's collegiate power forward in recognition of outstanding performance and contribution to the game.
The Karl Malone Award is one of four new awards introduced during the inaugural College Basketball Awards show. Inspired by the success of the Bob Cousy Award, which had been presented since 2004, these new awards aimed to honor the best players in specific positions, including the power forward position.
This award is presented annually at the end of every season to the best power forward player in college basketball.
Karl Malone Award History
Karl Malone Award is presented annually to the top power forward in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. This prestigious award is named after NBA legend Karl Malone, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.
Karl Malone had successful career in the NBA, being a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. His career included scoring total of 36,928 points, that ranks him on third all-time NBA scoring list behind LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Karl Malone Award has been presented since the 2014-15 season and is one of several awards presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The recipient of this award is chosen by a selection committee consisting of top college basketball personnel, including coaches, sports information directors, and various basketball analysts.
Karl Malone Award Winners List
Karl Malone Award was first presented in the 2014-15 season to Montrezl Harrell, who was playing for University of Louisville in his junior season at that time. This award was established to honor the top power forward in college basketball.
Here is the list of Karl Malone Award Winners year by year:
| Season | Player | School | Class |
| 2014–15 | Montrezl Harrell | Louisville | Junior |
| 2015–16 | Georges Niang | Iowa State | Senior |
| 2016–17 | Johnathan Motley | Baylor | Junior |
| 2017–18 | Deandre Ayton | Arizona | Freshman |
| 2018–19 | Zion Williamson | Duke | Freshman |
| 2019–20 | Obi Toppin | Dayton | Sophomore |
| 2020–21 | Drew Timme | Gonzaga | Sophomore |
| 2021–22 | Keegan Murray | Iowa | Sophomore |
| 2022–23 | Trayce Jackson-Davis | Indiana | Senior |
Karl Malone Award Winner List By School
Here is the list of Karl Malone Award Winners by colleges/school:
| School | Winners | Years |
| Arizona | 1 | 2018 |
| Baylor | 1 | 2017 |
| Dayton | 1 | 2020 |
| Duke | 1 | 2019 |
| Gonzaga | 1 | 2021 |
| Indiana | 1 | 2023 |
| Iowa | 1 | 2022 |
| Iowa State | 1 | 2016 |
| Louisville | 1 | 2015 |
Karl Malone Award Finalists of 2023-24
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released the list of finalists for the Karl Malone Award for the 2023-24 season in March of 2024. The list includes five finalists who have made contributions to their respective teams throughout the season.
| Finalists | School/College |
| Enrique Freeman | Akron |
| DaRon Holmes II | Dayton |
| Kyle Filipowski | Duke |
| Jaedon LeDee | San Diego State |
| Great Osobor | Utah State |
FAQ's On Karl Malone Award
A. The Karl Malone Award was established in the 2014–15 season and has been presented annually since then.
A. Any male college basketball player who is classified as a power forward is eligible for the Karl Malone Award. This includes players from all NCAA divisions and conferences.
A. Karl Malone is a former NBA player who is also known as one of the greatest power forwards in basketball history.
A. Trayce Jackson-Davis from the University of Indiana was the winner of the 2022-23 season winner of the Karl Malone award.
