Northwest Notes: March 4, 2022

Holmgren finalist for

Karl Malone Award

Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren was named one of five finalists for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.

The five finalists for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award are Jabari Smith (Auburn), Paolo Banchero (Duke), Holmgren (Gonzaga), Keegan Murray (Iowa) and EJ Liddell (Ohio State).

Holmgren, who was just named the West Coast Conference Newcomer and Defender of the Year, tied the WCC record averaging 3.7 blocks per league game, matching Hondre Brewer’s mark in 2002. Holmgren is fourth in the nation with 97 blocks and fourth averaging 3.59 blocks per game. His 97 blocked shots are the fourth-most in a single season in WCC history. Former GU player Brandon Clarke owns the record at 117. Holmgren is two blocks shy of seventh for most in a career in program history. The Minneapolis native has more blocks (97) than missed shots from the field (85) so far this season.

Holmgren leads the conference grabbing 9.7 rebounds per game, which is 21st in the country. He is eighth in the nation pulling down 7.96 defensive boards per outing. Holmgren is eighth in the WCC averaging 14.4 points per game. He is seventh in the country shooting 61.6 percent from the field, which leads the WCC. The freshman is fifth in the nation making 72.7 percent inside-the-arc.

The winner of the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday on hoophallawards.com.