“Easy answer”: College hoops fans react as Johni Broome, Alex Karaban and more headline Karl Malone Award finalists

The Karl Malone Award is presented to the best power forward in college basketball. The finalist list was released on Thursday, and the college basketball world had much to say.

The consensus is that it's Auburn star Johni Broome's award to lose.

"Easy answer," a fan simply wrote.

College Hoops had a consensus favorite

Broome leads the way.

However, some fans have other picks:

A fan said: "Danny wolf winning."

Another wrote: "If there was any justice in this world, Dixon would win."

One added: "Yaxel should win it."

Some other players got recognition in the comment section:

Here's the top 10 list:

• Alex Karaban, UConn
• Danny Wolf, Michigan
• Eric Dixon, Villanova
• Graham Ike, Gonzaga
• Johni Broome, Auburn
• JT Toppin, Texas Tech
• Michael Ratag, Oregon State
• Norchad Omier, Baylor
• Tyson Degenhart, Boise State
• Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB.

Who won the 2024 Karl Malone Award?

The Karl Malone Award has been presented since 2015. It honors the best power forward in the NCAA. Past winners include Zion Williamson, Montrezl Harrell, Deandre Ayton and Obi Toppin.

Jaedon LeDee of the San Diego State Aztecs won last season's award. LeDee led the Aztecs to a fifth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference while averaging 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 36 games. He earned first-team All-Mountain West, second-team NABC All-American and third-team AP All-American honors alongside the Karl Malone Award.

However, despite his 2024 dominance, LeDee went undrafted in 2024.

Analysts believe the Karl Malone Award winner went undrafted due to various factors.

First, there was the amount of time he spent in college, as LeDee spent five full seasons in the NCAA. Furthermore, he only became a starter in Year 5, meaning there was a small sample size.

Then there was his iffy free-throw percentage and sporadic 3-point shooting. Modern big men in the league are expected to make a lot of free throws and shoot a fair amount from the 3-point line. Unfortunately, the San Diego State Aztecs star fell short in both.

Lastly was his height. LeDee is 6-foot-7, which is OK in college but undersized in the NBA for a power forward. Furthermore, his lack of an elite shooting stroke means he can't be moved to shooting guard.

So, it's unsurprising that LeDee currently appears for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League. There, he may be able to impress enough to get his shot in the NBA.