Finney-Smith Named to Karl Malone Award Watch List
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 | Men's Basketball
By Denver Parler
UAA Communications
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dorian Finney-Smith has big expectations on his shoulders this season. As a fifth-year senior and the leading scorer and rebounder on last year's team, those expectations also carry recognition.
In what is likely just the first preseason nod to the high expectations on Finney-Smith, he has been named to the preseason Karl Malone Award watch list. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame tabbed 20 power forwards for the list, including the Portsmouth, Va., native. This marks the second year the Hall of Fame presents the Malone Award, introducing it for the 2014-15 season and won by Louisville's Montrezl Harrell in its first season.
Finney-Smith already has some significant honors to his name, earning SEC Sixth Man of the Year in 2014 and All-SEC recognition in 2015.
The watch list gets trimmed to 10 in February, with five finalists announced in March. The winner will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, April 8.
More information on the Malone Award and other awards presented by the Hall of Fame can be found at www.HoopHallAwards.com.
2016 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates
Rico Gathers, Baylor
Taurean Prince, Baylor
Ivan Rabb, California
Tony Parker, UCLA
Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Perry Ellis, Kansas
Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette
Henry Ellenson, Marquette
Shaq Goodwin, Memphis
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Beejay Anya, North Carolina State
Ryan Spangler, Oklahoma
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Markus Kennedy, Southern Methodist
Jameel Warney, Stony Brook
Jordan Loveridge, Utah
Alec Peters, Valporasio
Anton Grady, Wichita State
