BYU Basketball: Yoeli Childs could win The Mailman’s award

The award for the nation’s best college power forward is named after one of Utah’s greatest professional stars. BYU Basketball’s Yoeli Childs is on the watch list for it.

It would be quite fitting if BYU Basketball’s Yoeli Childs wins the award for the nation’s best college power forward. It would mean that a Utahn wins the award named after one of the greatest basketball players in the state’s history.

And Childs is one of the 20 players named to the Karl Malone Award watch list, meaning there’s a decent chance that it could happen.

It’s not particularly surprising that Childs is on this watch list, considering he was one of the best power forwards statistically last season. As a sophomore the Cougar big man averaged 17.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocked shots per contest.

If he can improve on those numbers incrementally he’ll be in the running at the end of the season for this award.

Other notable big men on the list include Duke’s Zion Williamson, Kansas’ Dedric Lawson, Nevada’s Jordan Brown, North Carolina’s Luke Maye, and USC’s Bennie Boatwright.

The list of 20 will be shortened to 10 semifinalists in February, then to five finalists in March. The committee that picks the winner will include The Mailman himself.

Malone and the committee’s winner will be presented on Friday, April 12th at The College Basketball Awards.

Much of Childs’ chances to win the award will rest on how BYU performs this year. When you look at the four previous winners, all of them got national recognition for both their play and their team’s play:

• 2014-15 – Montrezl Harrell – Louisville
• 2015-16 – Georges Niang – Iowa State
• 2016-17 – Johnathan Motley – Baylor
• 2017-18 – Deandre Ayton – Arizona

If the Cougars can make some noise during the season, especially in big games against Nevada, Houston, UNLV, Mississippi State, and Gonzaga, then Childs and BYU could get the attention necessary for him to take home The Mailman’s award.