SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — 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 which began on Friday, Oct. 18 at www.hoophallawards.com.
Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl 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, Pennsylvania, 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.”
Karl 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 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Karl Malone Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five.
Season tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale with 17 home games at the Bryce Jordan Center which includes multiple benefits, including priority purchase privileges for Penn State’s Jan. 4 game at the Palestra. Student season tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at gopsusports.com/mbbstudents.
For more information about new men's basketball season tickets, visit the online ticket information page or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Keep up-to-date with the latest information from Coach Patrick Chambers and the Nittany Lions on Twitter by following @Coach_Chambers and @PennStateMBB, liking the team’s page on Facebook and following the team Instagram account at @pennstatembb.