SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the Top 10 candidates for the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Among the 10 was Clemson University men’s basketball senior Aamir Simms (Palmyra, Va./Blue Ridge School).
A 6-8.5, 245-pound native of Palmyra, Va., Simms is averaging 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shots, while sitting third in steals. Simms is shooting 52.9 percent from the floor and 85.0 percent at the foul line.
Simms has notched a pair of 20-point outings, including tying his career-high of 25 points in a 66-65 win over Miami (Jan. 2). In that win Simms scored the game-winning basket to elevate the Tigers to victory. He has scored in double-figures in six contests this season and has posted one of his six career double-doubles against Morehead State (12 points and 10 rebounds). Simms recently posted 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a win over No. 25 Louisville.
He is 32 points shy of 1,000 for his career and is on pace to become just the fourth Clemson Tiger in school history to amass 1,000 points, 550 rebounds, 75 steals and 75 blocks. He would join Trevor Booker (2006-10), Horace Grant (1983-87) and Larry Nance (1977-81).
Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its seventh year 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 in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
In late February, five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2021 Karl Malone Award will be presented on Friday, April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award, in addition to the Women’s Starting Five. College basketball fans can support their favorite players by participating in Fan Voting presented by Dell.
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award include 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).
For more information on the 2021 Karl Malone Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoopfall and #MaloneAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, January 29 on HoophallAwards.com.
2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Candidates
Aamir Simms Clemson
Matthew Hurt Duke
Drew Timme Gonzaga
Trayce Jackson-Davis Indiana
Trendon Watford LSU
Tre Mitchell Massachusetts
Sandro Mamukelashvili Seton Hall
Oscar da Silva Stanford
Greg Brown Texas
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl Villanova
