UNC Basketball: Garrison Brooks named to Malone Watch List

UNC Basketball power forward Garrison Brooks earns a spot on the Malone Award Watch List ahead of the start of the season

As we await the return for the UNC Basketball program in just a few more weeks, preseason recognition is starting to be released and for one Tar Heel, he’s earning that national attention.

Senior forward Garrison Brooks is the Tar Heels’ best returning player from a year ago in which he turned in a fantastic year. Despite it being a down year overall for the Tar Heels, Brooks was one of the lone bright spots.

Now, he’s hoping to build on that and have a monster final season to get this program back on track.

On Wednesday, Brooks was named to the Dick Vitale’s Preseason All-Second Team ahead of the start the season. A day later, he was named to a big watch list. Brooks was one of 20 players named to the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Malone Award recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball each season. The 20 finalists will be cut down to 10 in January and then to five finalists in February as the season goes on.

Brooks is coming off a junior season in which he averaged 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 53.5 percent from the field. He earned a spot on the ACC’s All-Second Team for his efforts. With a young and talented UNC team this season, Brooks will be the leader of this team and could be their biggest impactful player early on.

See the full list of 20 candidates for the Malone Award Watch List by clicking here. 

For more on Brooks and the rest of the UNC Basketball team, please check back with Keeping It Heel.