SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 10 watch list finalists for the 2017 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 third 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 is unquestionably one of the most accomplished centers of all-time,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “His mindful and spirited approach to the game put him in a class of his own at both the collegiate and professional level and we appreciate his insights as we look to recognize the best centers in the game today.”
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 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. The winner of the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at ESPN’s College Basketball Awards, presented by Wendy’s, live from The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015). For more information on the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.
2017 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR CENTER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
| Eric Mika | BYU |
| Justin Patton | Creighton |
| Yante Maten | Georgia |
| Przemek Karnowski | Gonzaga |
| Tim Kempton | Lehigh |
| Jock Landale | Saint Mary’s |
| Tacko Fall | UCF |
| Thomas Welsh | UCLA |
| Josh Hawkinson | Washington State |
| Ethan Happ | Wisconsin |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2016-17 season*
THE KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR AWARD
The world may never again see an athlete dominate basketball for as long and as thoroughly as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From the time he stepped on the court as Lewis Alcindor at Power Memorial High School in his native New York City, to the years he owned college basketball at UCLA to the time he retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in nine statistical categories including the most points in NBA history, the 7-foot-2 superstar established himself as one of basketball’s most talented and recognizable figures. Abdul-Jabbar’s trademark skyhook was so precise and unstoppable it left defenders helpless. While one of Abdul-Jabbar’s signature maneuvers, it is now widely considered basketball’s most classic and lethal offensive move. Abdul-Jabbar brought finesse and agility to the center position, two traits he substituted for brute force and strength. He was the kind of player who graces a sport once in a lifetime.
ABOUT THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com or www.hoophallawards.com
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