The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
William Lee Named to Karl Malone Award Watch List
10/19/2017 12:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday that UAB senior William Lee is one of 20 student-athletes selected to the 2018 Karl Malone Award Watch List.
Named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor is in its fourth year and recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
"Karl Malone is unquestionably one of the greatest power forwards, a truly gifted player and an exemplary teammate," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "He had a phenomenal career and we are privileged to present an award bearing his name for the best power forward in the college game today."
A 6-foot-9 forward from Plantersville, Ala., Lee served as both the offensive and defensive catalyst for the Blazers last season. He led UAB with 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and ranked 20th and 11th in Conference USA, respectively. Lee scored in double figures in all but four of UAB's 18 league games and featured three games in which he finished with at least 20 points.
Defensively, Lee ended the season with 80 blocks to lead the league and rank 20th in the NCAA with 2.4 per game. He posted eight games with at least four blocks and recorded only three games all season in which he did not block at least one shot. Lee is on pace to become UAB's all-time leader in shot blocks and enters the 2017-18 season 10th all-time in Conference USA history.
Lee was awarded at the end of the season with his second consecutive selection as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Blazer to ever win twice and the first repeat winner since Joey Dorsey of Memphis accomplished the feat in 2007 and 2008. Lee was also selected to the All-Conference USA Second Team and All-Defensive Team.
"With this award, we have been able to recognize some extraordinarily talented student-athletes in college basketball over the past three seasons," said Karl Malone, a 2010 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "It is an honor to be associated with such an award and I hope the young men named to this watch list feel a sense of pride in being recognized for their efforts."
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year 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 of the 2018 Karl Malone Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 6, 2018. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award include Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015). For more information on the 2018 Karl Malone Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.
For more information on UAB men's basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), Instagram (@blazerhoops) and Snapchat (@UAB_MBB).
2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*
Named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor is in its fourth year and recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
"Karl Malone is unquestionably one of the greatest power forwards, a truly gifted player and an exemplary teammate," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "He had a phenomenal career and we are privileged to present an award bearing his name for the best power forward in the college game today."
A 6-foot-9 forward from Plantersville, Ala., Lee served as both the offensive and defensive catalyst for the Blazers last season. He led UAB with 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and ranked 20th and 11th in Conference USA, respectively. Lee scored in double figures in all but four of UAB's 18 league games and featured three games in which he finished with at least 20 points.
Defensively, Lee ended the season with 80 blocks to lead the league and rank 20th in the NCAA with 2.4 per game. He posted eight games with at least four blocks and recorded only three games all season in which he did not block at least one shot. Lee is on pace to become UAB's all-time leader in shot blocks and enters the 2017-18 season 10th all-time in Conference USA history.
Lee was awarded at the end of the season with his second consecutive selection as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Blazer to ever win twice and the first repeat winner since Joey Dorsey of Memphis accomplished the feat in 2007 and 2008. Lee was also selected to the All-Conference USA Second Team and All-Defensive Team.
"With this award, we have been able to recognize some extraordinarily talented student-athletes in college basketball over the past three seasons," said Karl Malone, a 2010 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "It is an honor to be associated with such an award and I hope the young men named to this watch list feel a sense of pride in being recognized for their efforts."
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year 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 of the 2018 Karl Malone Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 6, 2018. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award include Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015). For more information on the 2018 Karl Malone Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.
For more information on UAB men's basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), Instagram (@blazerhoops) and Snapchat (@UAB_MBB).
2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates
| Nana Foulland | Bucknell |
| Gary Clark Jr. | Cincinnati |
| Marvin Bagley III | Duke |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | Duke |
| Nick Mayo | Eastern Kentucky |
| Yante Maten | Georgia |
| Rokas Gustys | Hofstra |
| PJ Washington | Kentucky |
| Moritz Wagner | Michigan |
| Jordan Murphy | Minnesota |
| Alize Johnson | Missouri St. |
| Bonzie Colson | Notre Dame |
| Mike Daum | South Dakota St. |
| Reid Travis | Stanford |
| Obi Enechionyia | Temple |
| Dylan Osetkowski | Texas |
| Robert Williams | Texas A&M |
| Zach Smith | Texas Tech |
| William Lee | UAB |
| Bennie Boatwright | USC |
Players Mentioned
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