Gonzaga’s Drew Timme named to Karl Malone Award watch list

Drew Timme is again up for the national award he won two years ago after leading Gonzaga to a berth in the national championship game.

The Gonzaga senior was named to the watch list for the Karl Malone Award, given annually to college basketball’s best power forward.

Timme was the recipient of the award in 2021, but Gonzaga submitted the All-American for Kareem Abdul-Jabbard Award (nation’s top center) consideration last season while Chet Holmgren made the Malone Award watch list.

The senior forward from Richardson, Texas, opted to return to Gonzaga for his fourth season after testing the NBA draft waters. Timme is not just one of the best in the country at his position, but one of two front-runners to win national player of the year honors, alongside Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe.

The other 19 players named to Thursday’s Malone watch list were Akron’s Enrique Freeman, Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Creighton’s Arthur Kalama, Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, Furman’s Jalen Slawson, Houston’s Jarace Walker, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Iowa’s Kris Murray, LSU’s KJ Williams, Maryland’s Donta Scott, Memphis’ DeAndre Williams, Miami’s Norchad Omier, North Carolina’s Pete Nance, South Carolina’s GG Jackson, Virginia’s Jayden Gardner, Virginia Tech’s Justyn Mutts and Wyoming’s Graham Ike.

Gonzaga may only see one of those 19 during the regular season. If the Bulldogs make the title game of the PK85 Invitational in Portland, there’s a chance they’d face Duke and Filipowski, a freshman five-star recruit.

Last season, Timme was a John Wooden Award Player of the Year finalist, Wooden All-American and second-team All-American by Sporting News, the Associated Press, NABC and USBWA.

As the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, he averaged 18.4 points per game and was third in the conference shooting 58% from the field. He also ranked sixth in the WCC with 6.8 rebounds per game and eighth in blocked shots (0.78).