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The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Gonzaga's Braden Huff named to preseason Karl Malone Award watch list
- Story byThe Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- Gonzaga's Braden Huff named to preseason Karl Malone Award watch list
Oct. 29—For the first time in his career, Gonzaga's Braden Huff appeared on a preseason watch list for one of college basketball's major positional awards.
The senior was one of 20 players named Thursday to the watch list for the Karl Malone Award, which is handed out at the end of the season to the top power forward in the country.
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He becomes the second Gonzaga player to appear on a watch list this week after sophomore teammate Davis Fogle was added to the Julius Erving Award watch list on Wednesday for the nation's top small forward.
Graham Ike was one of the 10 midseason candidates for the Karl Malone Award last year before it was given to Duke freshman and Naismith Player of the Year recipient Cameron Boozer.
Huff was in the middle of a career season and leading the country in 2-point field goals before he suffered a dislocated kneecap that sidelined the forward for the remainder of his junior season.
Prior to the setback, Huff averaged 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds over 17 appearances, shooting 66.2% from the field. He scored a career-high 37 points on 16 of 18 shooting in a Dec. 17 game against Campbell and totaled 28 points on 11 of 14 shooting during a Jan. 2 overtime victory over Seattle U.
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Huff has been solid since returning to the court and scored 19 points to go with 11 rebounds in Gonzaga's 76-72 exhibition loss to Arkansas on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena. He followed it up with 11 points in the team's 91-59 exhibition win over NAIA Lewis-Clark State on Wednesday at McCarthey Athletic Center.
The Zags have had numerous players on the Malone Award watch list over the years, but Drew Timme has been the only recipient, capturing the honor in 2021 while helping lead GU to an undefeated regular season and run to the national championship game in Indianapolis.
The rest of the preseason watch list included Duke's Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, Florida's Alex Condon, Minnesota's Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Kansas' Keanu Dawes, Virginia's Thijs De Ridder, Michigan's J.P. Estrella, St. John's Keyshawn Hall, UConn's Na'jai Hines, BYU's Jaxon Kohler, Illinois' David Mirkovic, Arizona State's Paulius Murauskas, Arkansas' Miika Muurinen, Purdue's Caden Pierce, Texas' David Punch, Miami's Malik Reneau, Indiana's Aiden Sherrell, Texas Tech's JT Toppin and Houston's Joseph Tugler.
