The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the 20 watch list members for the 2016 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Three standout players from the Big 12 are included on the list.
Iowa State’s Jameel McKay, Cheick Diallo of Kansas and Devin Williams of West Virginia were the conference’s representatives. McKay returns for his second season at ISU after averaging 11.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks last season. He earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2014-15 after recording 59 blocks in 25 games.
Williams was third in the Big 12 in rebounding with 8.1 boards per contest. He has played in 67 career games and posted double-figure scoring totals in 18 outings a year ago, while registering nine double-doubles. Diallo was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 5 player in the nation overall by Rivals.com. He was named the 2014 and 2015 New York Gatorade Player of the Year and was part of the PARADE All-America First Team.
Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its second year recognizes the top centers in men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
“When it comes to collegiate centers, none have accomplished more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and we are pleased to include him in this celebration of the best in the game today,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The 20 athletes on this list represent the most dedicated, determined and skillful centers in college basketball today and we wish them well as they head into the 2015-16 season”
Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA from 1966-1969. He is a three-time NCAA Champion who earned numerous accolades including three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time National College Player of the Year and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969).
“It’s truly an honor for this award to bear my name,” said Abdul-Jabbar, a 1995 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and six-time NBA Champion. “Last year’s finalists featured an elite class including Frank Kaminsky, Jahlil Okafor and Willie Cauley-Stein. We expect this year’s competition to be just as tough.”
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2016 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed down to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2016 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 8, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
For more information on the 2016 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, log onto HoophallAwards.com.
2016 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates
Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona
Mamadou Ndiaye, UC Irvine
Josh Scott, Colorado
Egidijus Mockevicius, Evansville
Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga
Thomas Bryant, Indiana
Jameel McKay, Iowa State
Cheick Diallo, Kansas
Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
Diamond Stone, Maryland
Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV
Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina
Zach Auguste, Notre Dame
AJ Hammons, Purdue
Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Damian Jones, Vanderbilt
Daniel Ochefu, Villanova
Josh Hawkinson, Washington State
Joel Bolomboy, Weber State
Devin Williams, West Virginia