Senior forward Jameel Warney’s list of accolades may become longer, as the Stony Brook star was named a finalist for the Karl Malone Award.
Named after the Hall of Famer and two-time Most Valuable Player, the Karl Malone Award was instituted in 2015 to honor the best senior power forward in the country. Former Louisville forward and current Houston Rocket Montrezl Harrell won the award in its inaugural season.
In October 2015, 20 players were named to the watchlist for the award. Earlier this year, 16 semifinalists were named, and that number was cut down to 10 earlier today.
Warney has been one of the premier players in the country this season. The reigning two-time America East Player of the Year is ranked third in the country in blocks per game with 3.14 per contest and total blocks with 69 on the year. Warney is also seventh in the nation in double-doubles, with 15 on the season, and top 15 in total rebounds and rebounds per game.
In the America East, Warney leads the conference in scoring, rebounds and blocks. He is also second in field goal percentage, shooting 61.4 percent from the field so far this campaign. Warney has led the Seawolves on their nation-best 14-game winning streak.
The competition for the second-ever Karl Malone Award is stacked as Arizona’s Ryan Anderson, Baylor’s Taurean Prince, Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer, Iowa State’s Georges Niang, Kansas’s Perry Ellis, Louisiana-Lafayette’s Shawn Long, Marquette’s Henry Ellenson, New Mexico State’s Pascal Siakam and North Carolina’s Brice Johnson all are competing with Warney for a shot at history.
Kunal Kohli
Kunal is a senior journalism major on the broadcast track. He joined The Statesman in his freshman year and hopes to one day direct documentaries. He calls Syracuse, NY his hometown and enjoys long walks on the beach, rap music and college basketball. You can contact him at @TheKunalKohli.
