Jefferson named to Karl Malone Award preseason watch list
Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson has been named to the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List, announced Thursday by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jefferson is among 20 power forwards nationally recognized as candidates for the award, which honors the top power forward in Division I men’s basketball.
Former Cyclone Georges Niang won the award in 2016.
Jefferson is the third Iowa State player this week named to one of the Naismith Starting Five watch lists, joining point guard Tamin Lipsey (Bob Cousy Award) and forward Milan Momcilovic (Julius Erving Award). Iowa State is one of nine schools with at least three players named to four of the men’s watch lists announced so far.
Including Jada Williams (Nancy Lieberman Award) and Addy Brown (Katrina McClain Award) from the Cyclone women’s team, Iowa State is one of just six schools nationally with five or more student-athletes represented across the men’s and women’s Starting Five awards.
Jefferson earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors and was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team last season. The five-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week started all 35 games, averaging 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
He became the first player in Big 12 history to record at least 450 points, 250 rebounds, 100 assists, 70 steals and 25 blocks in a season. In the NCAA Tournament, Jefferson made history as the first player ever to post at least 10 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks in a tournament game, doing so in Iowa State’s win over Lipscomb.
The Karl Malone Award, named after the Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA MVP, is now in its 12th year. Fan voting begins Friday, Oct. 31, with the list trimmed to 10 players in January and five in February. The winner will be selected in March by Malone and a committee of media members, coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
