TJ Leaf Named to Karl Malone Award Watch List
October 20, 2016 | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. โ UCLA freshman forward TJ Leaf has been named as one of 20 watch list candidates for the 2017 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, as announced on Thursday.
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Named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor is in its third year and recognizes the top power forward in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
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Last season, Leaf averaged 28.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during his senior year at Foothills Christian High School in El Cajon, Calif. The 6-foot-10 forward competed alongside UCLA teammate Lonzo Ball at the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago last March. Leaf capped his senior season as a second-team All-America selection by USA Today after having led Foothills Christian to the CIF San Diego Section title.
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By mid-February of 2017, the award's watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2017 Karl Malone Award will be presented to the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on Friday, April 7.
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Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award were Georges Niang (2016, Iowa State) and Montrezl Harrell (2015, Louisville).
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Leaf is one of three UCLA players who has been named to a preseason positional watch list, joining teammates Ball and senior guard Isaac Hamilton. Earlier this week, Ball was selected to the Bob Cousy Award watch list (point guard of the year) and Hamilton was named to the Jerry West Award watch list (shooting guard of the year).
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2017 Karl Malone Award Candidates
Lauri Markkanen (Arizona)
Ivan Rabb (California)
Amile Jefferson (Duke)
Jonathan Isaac (Florida State)
Yante Maten (Georgia)
Carlton Bragg Jr. (Kansas)
Robert Carter (Maryland)
Dedric Lawson (Memphis)
Miles Bridges (Michigan State)
Isaiah Hicks (North Carolina)
Bonzie Colson (Notre Dame)
Michael Young (Pittsburgh)
Caleb Swanigan (Purdue)
Bennie Boatwright (Southern California)
Tyler Lydon (Syracuse)
TJ Leaf (UCLA)
Alec Peters (Valparaiso)
Kris Jenkins (Villanova)
Austin Nichols (Virginia)
Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin)
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*note: players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2016-17 season
