SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –Washington State men's basketball senior Josh Hawkinson has been named to the 20-member 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced, Friday.
Hawkinson was also named to the watch list at the start of the 2015-2016 basketball season and was one of 10 finalists for the award.
He is one of three Pac-12 student-athletes to be named to the list, as he's joined by Chris Boucher of Oregon and Thomas Welsh of UCLA. He will also face fellow nominee Justin Patton of Creighton when the Cougars tip off against the Bluejays at the Paradise Jam, Nov. 18. Later in the tournament, Hawkinson could potentially square off against Omer Yurtseven of NC State.
Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its third year and 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," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "As a steadfast advocate of the college game and its place in the development of young men as people and athletes, we know Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will offer great insights as we determine the top center in the game this season."
Kareem 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).
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed down to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's from Club Nokia at Los Angeles, Calif., Friday, April 7, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Last season, Pac-12 center Jakob Poeltl of Utah won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, and Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin was named the inaugural award winner in 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 Candidates
Moses Kingsley, Arkansas
Eric Mika, BYU
Justin Patton, Creighton
Marques Bolden, Duke
Zena Edosomwan, Harvard
Thomas Bryant, Indiana
Bam Adebayo, Kentucky
Tim Kempton, Lehigh
Omer Yurtseven, NC State
Chris Boucher, Oregon
Isaac Haas, Purdue
Pascal Chukwu, Syracuse
Jarrett Allen, Texas
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
Thomas Welsh, UCLA
Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina
Luke Kornet, Vanderbilt
Mo Alie-Cox, VCU
Josh Hawkinson, Washington State
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Hawkinson was also named to the watch list at the start of the 2015-2016 basketball season and was one of 10 finalists for the award.
He is one of three Pac-12 student-athletes to be named to the list, as he's joined by Chris Boucher of Oregon and Thomas Welsh of UCLA. He will also face fellow nominee Justin Patton of Creighton when the Cougars tip off against the Bluejays at the Paradise Jam, Nov. 18. Later in the tournament, Hawkinson could potentially square off against Omer Yurtseven of NC State.
Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its third year and 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," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "As a steadfast advocate of the college game and its place in the development of young men as people and athletes, we know Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will offer great insights as we determine the top center in the game this season."
Kareem 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).
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed down to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's from Club Nokia at Los Angeles, Calif., Friday, April 7, 2016. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Last season, Pac-12 center Jakob Poeltl of Utah won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, and Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin was named the inaugural award winner in 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 Candidates
Moses Kingsley, Arkansas
Eric Mika, BYU
Justin Patton, Creighton
Marques Bolden, Duke
Zena Edosomwan, Harvard
Thomas Bryant, Indiana
Bam Adebayo, Kentucky
Tim Kempton, Lehigh
Omer Yurtseven, NC State
Chris Boucher, Oregon
Isaac Haas, Purdue
Pascal Chukwu, Syracuse
Jarrett Allen, Texas
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
Thomas Welsh, UCLA
Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina
Luke Kornet, Vanderbilt
Mo Alie-Cox, VCU
Josh Hawkinson, Washington State
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin