Eastern Michigan Athletics
James Thompson IV Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason Watch List
10/19/2018 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Thompson joins teammate Elijah Minnie as candidates for the Naismith Starting Five
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University men's basketball senior James Thompson IV (Baton Rouge, La.-Parkview Baptist) has been named one of 20 members of the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason watch list, the National Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday, Oct. 19.
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 20 candidates.
Thompson was named All-Mid-American Conference First Team and NABC All-District 14 First Team after the 2017-18 season, while also earning a spot on the All-MAC Defensive Team. The Baton Rouge, La. native became just the third player in Eagles' history to join the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound club during their career, putting him in the company of EMU legends Kennedy McIntosh and Derrick Dial. Thompson averaged 14.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, one of just two players in the MAC to average double-digits in both categories, and also led the conference in double-doubles (20), rebounds per game (11.2), field goal percentage (67.2), total blocks (67), offensive rebounds per game (4.1), and defensive rebounds per game (7.1). The center also ranked in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage (third), offensive rebounds per game (third), rebounds per game (eighth), and double-doubles (eighth).
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, Calif. on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. 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).
2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
Austin Wiley, Auburn
James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan
Jessie Govan, Georgetown
Killian Tillie, Gonzaga
Alessandro Lever, Grand Canyon
Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago
Naz Reid, LSU
Jalen Smith, Maryland
Dewan Hernandez, Miami
Nick Ward, Michigan St.
Jontay Porter, Missouri
Bol Bol, Oregon
Moses Brown, UCLA
James Dickey, UNC Greensboro
Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky
Nathan Knight, William & Mary
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo 'Court of Dreams' Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad.
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 20 candidates.
Thompson was named All-Mid-American Conference First Team and NABC All-District 14 First Team after the 2017-18 season, while also earning a spot on the All-MAC Defensive Team. The Baton Rouge, La. native became just the third player in Eagles' history to join the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound club during their career, putting him in the company of EMU legends Kennedy McIntosh and Derrick Dial. Thompson averaged 14.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, one of just two players in the MAC to average double-digits in both categories, and also led the conference in double-doubles (20), rebounds per game (11.2), field goal percentage (67.2), total blocks (67), offensive rebounds per game (4.1), and defensive rebounds per game (7.1). The center also ranked in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage (third), offensive rebounds per game (third), rebounds per game (eighth), and double-doubles (eighth).
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, Calif. on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. 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).
2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
Austin Wiley, Auburn
James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan
Jessie Govan, Georgetown
Killian Tillie, Gonzaga
Alessandro Lever, Grand Canyon
Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago
Naz Reid, LSU
Jalen Smith, Maryland
Dewan Hernandez, Miami
Nick Ward, Michigan St.
Jontay Porter, Missouri
Bol Bol, Oregon
Moses Brown, UCLA
James Dickey, UNC Greensboro
Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky
Nathan Knight, William & Mary
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo 'Court of Dreams' Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad.
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