The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced Duke freshman Paolo Banchero as one of five finalists 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 in November, which was narrowed to 10 in late January and now just five finalists.
Among all true freshmen nationally, Banchero currently ranks second in scoring (16.9), third in rebounding (7.8) and fourth in field goal percentage (.465). He has logged eight double-doubles and 11 games of 20+ points – each ranking second among power conference true freshmen. The six-time ACC Freshman of the Week has the fifth-highest scoring average (17.1) and is second in rebounding (8.2) in conference-only games.
Banchero…