SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 10 candidates for the 2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its fourth 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 in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a mindful and spirited approach to the game, which put him in a class of his own at both the collegiate and professional level,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “As one of the most accomplished centers of all-time, his insights will be highly valued as we consider this list of ten candidates.”
AWARD WATCH LISTS: Wooden Award | Jerry West Award | Bob Cousy Award
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles 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). Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion and a1995 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee for the 2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. The winner will be honored at ESPN’s College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 6, 2018. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward Award. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015). For more information on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, visit www.HoophallAwards.com.
2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Jaren Jackson, Jr. | Michigan State |
| Isaac Haas | Purdue |
| Jock Landale | Saint Mary's |
| Angel Delgado | Seton Hall |
| Vladimir Brodziansky | TCU |
| Mohamed Bamba | Texas |
| Tyler Davis | Texas A&M |
| Thomas Welsh | UCLA |
| Brandon McCoy | UNLV |
| Ethan Happ | Wisconsin |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*
