Keyshawn Hall Named to Preseason Top 20 Watch List for Karl Malone Award

QUEENS, N.Y. – Just a few days before the start of the 2026-27 season, St. John's graduate student Keyshawn Hall has been named to the preseason top 20 watch list for the Karl Malone Award, it was announced on Thursday afternoon by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Karl Malone Award is entering its 13^th season honoring the top power forward in men's Division I Basketball.

Hall joins the Red Storm with a reputation as one of the nation's most prolific scorers. Last season at Auburn, Hall averaged 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, one of only three high-major players to hit those averages alongside the likes of Duke's Cameron Boozer and Gonzaga's Graham Ike. The Third Team All-SEC pick ranked fifth in the league in scoring and eighth in rebounding.

Hall posted eight double-doubles for the Tigers and finished in double figures 34 times with 19 20-point outings and three 30-point outbursts.

The Cleveland native finished second nationally in made free throws with 228, trailing only BYU's AJ Dybansta (229), the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Entering his fifth year of Division I basketball, Hall has scored 1,892 career points.

Hall is the third Johnnie to earn a spot on a Hall of Fame preseason watch list this week, joining Quinn Ellis (Bob Cousy Award) and Tounde Yessoufou (Julius Erving Award).

Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Karl Malone Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where winners will be selected. The selection committee for the Karl Malone Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

2027 Karl Malone Award Candidates*
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke
Alex Condon, Florida
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Minnesota
Keanu Dawes, Kansas
Thijs De Ridder ,Virginia
Xavier Edmonds, TCU
J.P. Estrella, Michigan
Keyshawn Hall, St. John's
Na'jai Hines, UConn
Braden Huff, Gonzaga
Jaxon Kohler, BYU
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Miikka Muurinen, Arkansas
Caden Pierce, Purdue
David Punch, Texas
Malik Reneau, Miami
Aiden Sherrell, Indiana
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Joseph Tugler, Houston

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2026-27 season.

The Red Storm will officially begin the 2026-27 season on Monday night when the Johnnies tip off against Monmouth at 6:30 p.m. The game will be carried live on ESPN+.

Full-season ticket packages including all Red Storm games at Carnesecca Arena are already sold-out, but fans can still purchase a Madison Square Garden plan, which will secure a seat for all 13 of the Red Storm's regular season games at The World's Most Famous Arena. Those 13 regular season games are the most for St. John's at The Mecca since 1950-51.

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Players Mentioned

Quinn Ellis

Keyshawn Hall

Tounde Yessoufou

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