NEW ROCHELLE, NY- Iona College senior forward David Laury is among five finalists for the Karl Malone Award, awarded by the Naismith Basketbal Hall of Fame and given to the nation’s top power forward. Laury has been nominated for his outstanding performance in 2014-15 which included a MAAC Player of the Year award.
Laury is nominated among student-athletes from household name programs like: Kansas’ Perry Ellis, Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer, and Iowa State’s Georges Niang. It is the first year the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be awarded. The Naismith Hall of Fame is recognizing the top player at all five positions for the first time this season. Joining the Karl Malone Award, is the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, Kareem Abdul- Jabbar Center of the Year Award. The Bob Cousy Award for Point Guard of the Year has been awarded by the Hall of Fame for several years.
Laury finished the regular season averaging 20.1 ppg and 9.5 ppg, both ranked second in the MAAC. His 16 double-doubles ranks eighth nationally in addition to him leading the conference and ranking in the top ten nationally in free-throws attempted and free-throws made.
The winners of the inaugural awards will be awarded at ESPN’s new College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2015. The Awards will be televised live on ESPN2 at 8:00 pm EST.