Georgia’s Yante Maten was named a top-10 candidate for both the Senior CLASS Award and the Karl Malone Award on Thursday. The Senior CLASS Award is given to a student-athlete who makes a positive impact as a community leader. The Karl Malone Award honors the top power forward in the nation.
Maten, a 6-8, 243-pound, forward from Pontiac, Mich., currently leads the SEC in scoring at 19.3 points per game. He also ranks No. 2 in minutes played (33.7 mpg), No. 3 in rebounding (8.8 rpg), No 6 in field goal percentage (.468), No. 9 in free throw percentage (.841) and No. 10 in blocked shots (1.3 bpg). Maten is the league’s active career leader in points, rebounds, blocks and double-double.
This season, Maten has scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games, with 12 20-point performances and nine double-doubles.
Maten also has ascended among Georgia’s career statistical leaders throughout the season. He climbed to No. 4 among the Bulldogs’ top scorers during Wednesday’s game against Vanderbilt, passing Dominique Wilkins. Maten also is No. 3 in blocks (180), No. 4 in free throws made (463), No. 7 in free throws attempted (610), No. 7 in rebounds (809), No. 7 in field goals made (592), No. 7 in field goals attempted (1,217), No. 13 in free throw percentage (.759) and No. 15 in field goal percentage (.486).
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 candidates announced in January. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through March 19. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award recipient will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
The other Senior CLASS finalists are: Shawn Anderson, Navy; Vladimir Brodziansky, TCU; Jevon Carter, West Virginia; Angel Delgado, Seton Hall; Rob Gray, Houston; A.J. Jacobson, North Dakota State; Justin Johnson, Western Kentucky; Luke Morrison, Army; and Johnathan Williams, Gonzaga.
The Karl Malone Award, named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, is in its fourth year and recognizes the top power forward in Division I. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 21 candidates in October, which was narrowed to 10 on Thursday. The award is one of five position player of the year honors administered by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In March, five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner will be honored at ESPN’s College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 6, 2018.
Joining Maten in the top 10 leading candidates for the Malone Award are: DeAndre Ayton, Arizona; Gary Clark Jr., Cincinnati; Marvin Bailey III, Duke; Wendell Carter Jr., Duke; Nick King, Middle Tennessee, Jordan Murphy, Minnesota; Luke Made, North Carolina; Mike Daum, South Dakota State; and Robert Williams, Texas A&M.