Armando Bacot, Walker Kessler Named to Kareem Abdul Jabbar Award Watch List

UNC is the only school with two players on the list

UNC placed two players on the watch list for the 2021 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced.

For the second straight year, sophomore Armando Bacot was named to the list. He’s joined by freshman Walker Kessler. UNC is the only team with two players on the Center of the Year watch list. No Tar Heel has won in the seven-year history of the award.

Kessler is one of four freshmen nationally named to the Abdul-Jabbar Award watch list. The selection of Kessler and Bacot gives UNC three total players over the Hall of Fame's five positional watch lists – joining Garrison Brooks (Karl Malone Award). Only three other teams have more.

In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2021 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed down to just 10. In late February, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the award will be presented on Friday, April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Naismith Men's Starting Five.

Matt Haarms – BYU

Mark Williams – Duke

Kofi Cockburn – Illinois

Luka Garza – Iowa

Olivier Sarr – Kentucky

Ahsan Asadullah – Lipscomb

Cameron Krutwig – Loyola Chicago

Mousa Cisse – Memphis

Liam Robbins – Minnesota

Armando Bacot – North Carolina

Walker Kessler – North Carolina

Trevion Williams – Purdue

Grant Golden – Richmond

Evan Mobley – USC

Neemias Queta – Utah State

Jay Huff – Virginia

Derek Culver – West Virginia

Charles Bassey – Western Kentucky

Micah Potter – Wisconsin

Loudon Love – Wright State