SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Stanford junior Reid Travis has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2018 Karl Malone Award, honoring the top power forward in Division I men's college basketball.
The award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in honor of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, announced its 20-member preseason watch list on Thursday.
Travis enters the 2017-18 season as the Pac-12 Conference's leading returning scorer (17.9 ppg) and rebounder (8.9 rpg). A 2017 First Team All-Pac-12 selection and National Association of Basketball Coaches Second Team All-District pick, Travis was the only player in the Pac-12 and one of only five individuals in the top six conferences (Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, SEC and BIG EAST) to finish last season ranked in the top five of his conference in both scoring and rebounding. The forward was one of two players in the Pac-12 to rank in the top six in the league in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage in 2016-17.
Travis started all 27 games he played in last season and led Stanford in nine categories, including scoring (470, 17.4 ppg), rebounding (239, 8.9 rpg), offensive rebounding (93, 3.4 orpg), defensive rebounding (146, 5.4 drpg), field goals made (176), field goal attempted (304), field goal percentage (.579), free throws made (118) and free throws attempted (181). He finished the 2016-17 campaign with nine double-doubles.
The forward, who is majoring in Science, Technology, and Society, ranked in the top seven in the Pac-12 in seven categories last season, including scoring (17.4 ppg, fourth), rebounding (8.9, fifth), offensive rebounding (3.4, first), field goal percentage (.579, sixth), double-doubles (9, seventh), free throws attempted (181, second) and free throws made (118, third).
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Karl Malone Award will be narrowed to 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Karl Malone Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles on Friday, April 6, 2018.
For more information on the Karl Malone Award, log on to www.HoophallAwards.com.
Travis and Stanford begin the 2017-18 season Nov. 10 against Cal Poly at Maples Pavilion. The game will be at 4 p.m. PT and serve as the first contest in a men's basketball-football doubleheader on The Farm. The Cardinal football team will host Washington at 7:30 p.m. PT at Stanford Stadium.
