PROVO, Utah – BYU’s Jaxon Kohler was named to the Naismith Starting 5 – Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List on Thursday morning.
Kohler is one of six players from the Big 12 on the list as the 6-foot-10 forward is joined by Kansas’ Keanu Dawes, TCU’s Xavier Edmonds, Arizona State’s Paulius Murauskas, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin and Houston’s Joseph Tugler.
| 2027 Naismith Starting 5 - Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List | |
| Name | School |
| Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje | Duke |
| Alex Condon | Florida |
| Jaylen Crocker-Johnson | Minnesota |
| Keanu Dawes | Kansas |
| This 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 |
The American Fork native was one of four Cougars in double figures in their 89-77 victory over UNLV on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. He had 19 points going 8 of 15 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range, as BYU overcame a 12-point first-half deficit to defeat the Runnin’ Rebels.
Against former Big Ten foe Nebraska, Kohler recorded a double-double in BYU’s 72-61 win over the Cornhuskers. All 10 of his points came in the second half, while four of his game-high 10 boards came on the offensive glass. He was also one of four Cougars to knock down multiple 3-pointers, going 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Kohler appeared in 124 games, including 69 starts during his four seasons at Michigan State, where he averaged 7.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He also shot 50.3 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from three and 79.2 percent from the free throw line, helping the Spartans go 57-15 during his final two seasons in East Lansing, reaching the Elite Eight in 2025 and Sweet 16 in 2026.
He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades as a senior after starting in all 35 contests for Tom Izzo. He averaged a career-high 12.5 points per game and shot 50.0 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from behind the arc and 86.9 percent from the charity stripe. His 8.9 rebounds per game were the third-most in the Big Ten and 36th nationally. His 312 rebounds are tied for the 10th most in a single season in Michigan State history.
Kohler became the first player under Izzo to have a double-double in five straight games with 10 points and 12 rebounds at Penn State, 16 points and 13 rebounds versus Toledo, 13 points and 13 rebounds versus Oakland, 11 points and 10 rebounds against Cornell and 19 points and 11 rebounds at Nebraska.
About the Karl Malone Award
The annual Karl Malone Award, named after the Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, celebrates its 13th year by recognizing the top power forward in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball.
In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards 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 committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Karl Malone Award are composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2027 Malone Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five.