Michigan State University Athletics
Nick Ward Tabbed as one of 10 Candidates for Abdul-Jabbar Award
2/8/2019 4:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State men's basketball junior forward Nick Ward (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) was selected as one of 10 candidates for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 21 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
Ward, a Big Ten honorable mention selection by the league's coaches last year as a junior, is second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game and third on the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg). Ward also ranks fifth in the Big Ten, and No. 23 nationally, in field goal percentage, connected on 61.0 percent of his shots from the field.
The junior has had eight games this season with at least 20 points and scored in double figures 18 times. He is one of 10 players in the country averaging at least 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting at least 60 percent from the floor.
Ward became the 50th player in Michigan State history to pass the 1,000-point mark for his career earlier this season and he now ranks 29th all-time with 1,270 points.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach and Hall of Famer 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). As a professional, Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion, six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time NBA All-Star and the league's all-time leading scorer.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and receiving support from Eaton Ephesus Lighting 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 by ESPN at a later date.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Michigan State, 18-5 overall, 9-3 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, hosts Minnesota (16-7, 6-6) on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center. The game will air live on ESPN2, with Jason Benetti and Dan Dakich calling all of the action.
Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 21 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.
Ward, a Big Ten honorable mention selection by the league's coaches last year as a junior, is second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game and third on the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg). Ward also ranks fifth in the Big Ten, and No. 23 nationally, in field goal percentage, connected on 61.0 percent of his shots from the field.
The junior has had eight games this season with at least 20 points and scored in double figures 18 times. He is one of 10 players in the country averaging at least 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting at least 60 percent from the floor.
Ward became the 50th player in Michigan State history to pass the 1,000-point mark for his career earlier this season and he now ranks 29th all-time with 1,270 points.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach and Hall of Famer 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). As a professional, Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion, six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time NBA All-Star and the league's all-time leading scorer.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and receiving support from Eaton Ephesus Lighting 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 by ESPN at a later date.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Michigan State, 18-5 overall, 9-3 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, hosts Minnesota (16-7, 6-6) on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center. The game will air live on ESPN2, with Jason Benetti and Dan Dakich calling all of the action.
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