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Freeman Named to Malone Award Watch List
10/31/2024 2:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Freshman forward Donnie Freeman is one of 20 preseason watch-list candidates for the 2025 Karl Malone Award, according to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor, in its 11th 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.Â
"The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to annually recognize the best student-athletes in the collegiate game with positional awards bearing the names of some of the greatest players of all time," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "To be named to the watchlist of the Naismith Starting Five is a great honor and I know our Hall of Famers sincerely enjoy the opportunity to watch these players compete. We thank Mr. Malone for his unwavering support over the years and the unique perspective he brings to ultimately selecting a winner."
Freeman is one of two freshman to make the Malone Award watch-list. Last spring Freeman was selected as a McDonald's All-American and an Allen Iverson Roundball Classic All-American, while also being picked to play in the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic game. He participated as a member of the Bahamas Nation Team for the 2024 Olympics qualifying tournament in July. Freeman was ranked as the sixth-ratedrecruit in the 2025 class by 247Sports, making him the second-highest Syracuse recruit in program history.
2025 Karl Malone Award Candidates*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
| Player | School |
| Grant Nelson | Alabama |
| Trey Townsend | Arizona |
| Johni Broome | Auburn |
| Norchad Omier | Baylor |
| Ian Schieffelin | Clemson |
| Graham Ike | Gonzaga |
| J'Wan Roberts | Houston |
| Will Riley | Illinois |
| Malik Reneau | Indiana |
| Coleman Hawkins | Kansas State |
| Julian Reese | Maryland |
| Cade Tyson | North Carolina |
| Caden Pierce | Princeton |
| Bryce Hopkins | Providence |
| JT Toppin | Texas Tech |
| Donnie Freeman | Syracuse |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | UAB |
| Alex Karaban | UConn |
| Eric Dixon | Villanova |
| Great Osobor | Washington |
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting today. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Karl Malone Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March the five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.Â
The winner of the 2025 Karl Malone Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Award are Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State (2024), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (2023), Keegan Murray, Iowa (2022), Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).Â
For more information on the 2025 Karl Malone Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #MaloneAward on X (formally Twitter) and Instagram.Â
About Karl Malone
Karl Malone attended Louisiana Tech University due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. He 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. Malone achieved great success during his 19 seasons in the NBA as a 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), 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).
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
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