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Nittany Lion named to Malone honor list

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State men’s basketball forward Lamar Stevens was named as one of 20 players on the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward Watch List as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Thursday. The Big Ten Conference’s leading scorer and rebounder, Stevens averaged 19.9 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game and earned All-Big Ten Conference honors last season.

New this year, Nittany Lion fans can participate in the voting for the Men’s Starting Five, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds beginning on Friday, Oct. 18 at www.hoophallawards.com.

Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Malone, the annual honor in its sixth 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.

“To be considered for the Karl Malone Power Forward Award is a great honor,” said Stevens. “He was not only a tremendous individual player, but his teammates and coaches could count on him as a leader on and off the court. I want to show that same level of commitment to Penn State, my teammates and coaches, and to the game of basketball.”

From Philadelphia, Stevens currently ranks fifth on Penn State’s career scoring list with 1,660 points and became one of three Nittany Lions to post back-to-back seasons with 600 or more points. Stevens enters the 2019-20 campaign with the longest starting streak in the nation at 104 games, starting every game in his collegiate career.

“The young men on the watch list for this, and other awards in the Starting Five, should be extremely proud and motivated heading into the upcoming season,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Karl Malone was an exemplary player who brought his best every game and we expect to see similar effort from these student athletes. It’s a joy to see the passion Mr. Malone has for selecting the athletes who win this esteemed annual award.”

Malone attended Louisiana Tech University and led the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance and earned All-Southland honors in his three seasons while averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02) was an 11-time All-NBA First Team player (1989-99) and a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He also won two Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996).

By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner will be presented at The College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, April 10, 2020.

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