Georges Niang wins Karl Malone Award as nation's top power forward

AMES — Georges Niang's time in an Iowa State uniform has passed, but he hasn't stopped penning a few chapters in the program history books.

Niang was given the Karl Malone Award on Friday night in Los Angeles, which is awarded to the nation's best power forward by the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the first Cyclones player to receive a national award given to an individual.

The award ceremony was televised on ESPN2 at Club Nokia during the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show.

'Man, thinking about Karl Malone all I can think about is the Mailman and what he's done for the game of basketball,' Niang told ESPN's Jay Williams. 'Getting an award with his name under it is just a blessing.'

Niang posted arguably one of the best individual seasons in ISU history, averaging 20.5 points per game, shooting 54.6 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from 3-point range and 80.7 percent from the free throw line. He is the only two-time AP All-American in Cyclones history.

Versatility was Niang's trademark, particularly during his senior season, when he was second in the Big 12 in scoring behind Wooden Award winner Buddy Hield of Oklahoma. Niang was also the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in assists and rebounds.

Following a unanimous selection to the all-Big 12 first team, Niang averaged 28.7 points in three NCAA tournament games while helping Iowa State reach its fifth Sweet 16 in program history. He became just the fifth player in tournament history to score 28 or more points in three straight games.

Niang finished his Iowa State career second on the school's all-time scoring list with 2,228 points, was the first Cyclone to play in four NCAA tournaments and owns the most wins (98) and games played (138) in school history.

Iowa's Jarrod Uthoff was among four other finalists for the award, including Kansas' Perry Ellis, North Carolina's Brice Johnson and Stony Brook's Jameel Warney.

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