The 10 finalists for the 2016 Karl Malone Award have been announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Big 12 is well-represented. Taurean Prince of Baylor, Iowa State’s Georges Niang and Perry Ellis of Kansas have all been recognized, giving the Big 12 more finalists than any conference in the country.

The Karl Malone Award is given annually to the nation’s top power forward.

Niang ranks second in the Big 12 with 19.1 points per game, while Ellis checks in at third (16.5 ppg). Prince is fifth with a 15.1-point scoring average. All three players are among the top 11 rebounders in the conference and Niang and Ellis are among the top nine players in the league for field goal percentage.

“In terms of power forwards who have had a significant impact on the game of basketball, Karl Malone is at the top of the list,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “When it comes to consistent play, ‘The Mailman’ always delivered and we are delighted to include him in this recognition of the best power forwards in the game today.”

In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the 2016 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. The winner of the 2016 Karl Malone Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s from Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Friday, April 8, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.

KARL MALONE AWARD FINALISTS
Ryan Anderson, Arizona
Taurean Prince, Baylor
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Perry Ellis, Kansas
Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette
Henry Ellenson, Marquette
Psacal Siakam, New Mexico State
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Jameel Warney, Stony Brook