2015 Kentucky Sportsman of the Year Finalist: Karl-Anthony Towns

We are revealing, in reverse alphabetical order, the 10 finalists for the 2015 Lexington Herald-Leader Sportsman of the Year award. The winner will be announced Jan. 26 simultaneously on Kentucky.com and at the fifth annual Bluegrass Sports Awards Banquet. Complete results will be in the Jan. 27 Herald-Leader. The second finalist is:

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS

2015 claim to fame: Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball freshman emerged as go-to, low-post scorer for 38-1 Wildcats and was selected as a second-team All-American by AP and the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 NBA Draft.

What a voter said: “(Towns) improved throughout the year to become the number one pick.” — Keith Elkins, Lexington Legends radio play-by-play announcer

Previously announced finalist: Kelsi Worrell, Emma Talley

This story was originally published January 17, 2016 at 6:56 PM with the headline "2015 Kentucky Sportsman of the Year Finalist: Karl-Anthony Towns."