Syracuse Orange men’s basketball forward Donnie Freeman has been named to the preseason watchlist for the Karl Malone Award, as announced in a recent release. The freshman is one of 20 college players highlighted for this honor, which recognizes the top power forward in college basketball each season since 2014-15.
Freeman is one of three ACC players to make the watchlist, alongside Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin and North Carolina’s Cade Tyson. Notably, he is one of only two freshmen named. A highly ranked recruit, Freeman was a 2024 McDonald’s All-American, competed in the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic, and played for the Bahamas National Team during the 2024 Olympic qualifying event in July. As the sixth-ranked recruit in his class, Freeman is Syracuse’s highest-rated recruit in over 20 years.
Fans are invited to participate in Fan Voting, with the watchlist narrowing from 20 to 10 players in January, then down to five in February. The five finalists will be reviewed by Karl Malone and the Hall of Fame selection committee in March to choose a winner.
The last Syracuse player nominated for the Karl Malone Award watchlist was Tyler Lydon in 2017, though no Syracuse player has won the award yet.
Leave a Reply