AMHERST, Mass. — Massachusetts men's basketball sophomore Tre Mitchell has been named a Top 10 candidate for the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.
 
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 of college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
 
Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, January 29 on HoophallAwards.com. For more information on the 2021 Karl Malone Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MaloneAward on Twitter and Instagram.
 
Despite a small sample size in 2020-21, Mitchell has proven to be one of the top players in the Atlantic 10 and the nation this season. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native is 33rd in the NCAA and tops in the Atlantic 10 averaging 20.0 points per game this season, one of just 11 underclassmen in the top-40, and seventh in the conference with 7.4 rebounds per game. Dating back to last season, Mitchell has reached double-figures in 32 straight games.
 
On Dec. 16 at La Salle, Mitchell had a career-high 37 points, tied for the eighth most points in UMass single-game history. In just 40 career games, Mitchell is already tied for seventh in career 30+ point games in UMass history.
 
Mitchell wasted no time in confirming that the hype is real on Dec. 11 vs. Northeastern with 31 points and 11 rebounds in his season debut, including 19 points and six boards in the first half alone. Mitchell's performance put him on a list with some of the UMass greats, tying him for the fourth most points in a season opener in program history.
 
He is one of only 30 players in the country, and two players in the Atlantic 10, with two 30+ point games this season. Mitchell's 728 career points, meanwhile, have him on track to reach 1000 career points this season. He would be only the fifth player in program history to reach 1000 career points in just two seasons.
 
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 April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being 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). 
 
2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award 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

*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2020-21 season*