University of Colorado Athletics
Scott Named To Top 15 Watch List For Abdul-Jabbar Award
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (Feb. 16) GÇô The
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday the Top
15 watch list members for the 2015 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 inaugural year recognizes the
top centers in menGÇÖs college basketball. The watch list
of 15 candidates was determined by a national committee comprised
of top college basketball personnel.
University of Colorado junior forward Josh Scott is one of three
Pac-12 Conference players named to the list. Jakob Poeltl of Utah
and Stefan Nastic of Stanford were also named.
Scott is second on the Buffaloes in scoring with a 13.4 points per
game average. HeGÇÖs also second in blocks (32), rebounds (7.4) and
field goal percentage (.500).
GÇ£For many years the Basketball Hall of Fame has recognized the top
collegiate point guards in the nation with the Bob Cousy Award. We
are excited to expand upon these awards by now recognizing the top
players at each position,GÇ¥ said John L. Doleva, President and CEO
of the Basketball Hall of Fame. GÇ£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.GÇ¥
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).
GÇ£ItGÇÖs truly an honor for this award to bear my name,GÇ¥ said Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, a 1995 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame and six-time NBA Champion. GÇ£The fifteen
athletes on this list represent the most dedicated, determined and
skillful centers in college basketball today and I wish them well
as they head into March.GÇ¥
By early March, the current list of 15 finalists for the 2015
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be narrowed down to five
players. The final five players in contention for the
award will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of FameGÇÖs
selection committee. The winner of the 2015 Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at ESPNGÇÖs new College
Basketball Awards presented by WendyGÇÖs from Club Nokia in Los
Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2015. The Awards will be televised
live on ESPN2 at 8:00pm EST.
For more information on the 2015 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, log
onto www.HoophallAwards.com.
2015 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award
Candidates
Bobby Portis, Arkansas
Alan Williams, California, Santa Barbara
Josh Scott, Colorado
Jahlil Okafor, Duke
Joshua Smith, Georgetown
Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky
Jarell Martin, Louisiana State
Kennedy Meeks, North Carolina
Brad Waldow, Saint MaryGÇÖs College
Stefan Nastic, Stanford
Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse
Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Damian Jones, Vanderbilt
Daniel Ochefu, Villanova
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin
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 GÇô 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
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GǪ on Twitter: @hoophall
GǪ or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA