SPRINGFIELD, Mass.
-- UCF center Tacko Fall was named among the 10 finalists for the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabaar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
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 10 finalists.
Fall is the only student-athlete in the American Athletic Conference to make the 10-player list, joining the likes of Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ, UCLA’s Thomas Welsh, Creighton’s Justin Patton and Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowski.
Fall leads all 10 finalists with 2.3 blocked shots per game and a 75.7 field goal percentage. He is also second in rebounding among the finalists, with 9.9 boards per game, and is averaging 12.2 points per contest as a sophomore. Fall's field-goal percentage is currently on track to set a single-season NCAA Division I record.
Fall is the third American men's basketball player named among the position-specific finalists, joining Cincinnati's Jacob Evans III (Jerry West Award, shooting guard) and Memphis' Dedric Lawson (Karl Malone Award, power forward) as finalists.
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 will be announced at ESPN’s College Basketball Awards, presented by Wendy’s, live form The Novo by Microsoft in downtown Los Angeles on Apr. 7.
2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalists
| Eric Mika |
Brigham Young University |
| Tacko Fall |
UCF |
| Justin Patton |
Creighton |
| Yante Maten |
Georgia |
| Przemek Karnowski |
Gonzaga |
| Tim Kempton |
Lehigh |
| Jock Landale |
Saint Mary’s |
| Thomas Welsh |
UCLA |
| Josh Hawkinson |
Washington State |
| Ethan Happ |
Wisconsin |