Thursday, Nate Reuvers was named one of 20 candidates for the Karl Malone Award given to the best power forward in college basketball. The senior big man joins Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana and Seth Towns of Ohio State as players from the Big Ten to make the preseason watchlist.
Since the award was first handed out in 2015, Nigel Hayes (2017) is the only other Wisconsin player to be nominated. Reuvers, 6-foot-11, 235 pounds, could not only become the first Wisconsin player to win the honor, but also the first from the Big Ten to take home the award.
The Minnesota native has become a leader for Wisconsin on both ends of the floor. A third-team All-Big Ten pick last season, Reuvers averaged 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a game as a junior.
Reuvers has upped his scoring total each of the past two seasons and has also been the anchor for one of the best defenses in the country. Over his career in Madison, Reuvers has totaled 144 blocks, which is tied with Jared Berggren for third all-time in school history. He is behind only Frank Kaminsky and Ethan Happ, who have 153 and 154 career blocks, respectively.
In late January, the watch list of 20 players will be trimmed down to 10. In late February, five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the award will be announced on April 9, 2021.
Earlier this week, redshirt senior point guard D’Mitrik Trice was named to the watch list for the 2021 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2021 KARL MALONE POWER FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST
Mark Vital, Baylor
Aamir Simms, Clemson
Matthew Hurt, Duke
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky
Trendon Watford, LSU
Tre Mitchell, Massachusetts
Garrison Brooks, North Carolina
Seth Towns, Ohio State
Brady Manek, Oklahoma
Hasahn French, Saint Louis
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall
Oscar da Silva, Stanford
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
Greg Brown, Texas
Kevin Marfo, Texas A&M
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova
Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia
Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin
