Iowa State Media Relations
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Iowa State senior Osun Osunniyi has been named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List, announced Friday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The initial watch list recognizes 20 players, as the award is handed out to the top center in men’s college basketball.
A transfer from St. Bonaventure, Osunniyi started 32 games for the Bonnies during the 2021-22 season. He led the team with 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots per game as he helped lead the Bonnies to the NIT Semifinals. Osunniyi led the Bonnies in field goal percentage at 61.3 percent, while averaging 11.3 points per game. The two-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, Osunniyi was named to the Lefty Driesell Defensive All-American Team last year.
“Rounding out the Men’s Starting Five Watch List is the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. The student-athletes on this list should feel tremendously proud of all they have accomplished to be associated with basketball’s all-time leading scorer,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “With his focus on both education and athletics, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s perspective is cherished by our committee when evaluating talent each year.”
2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates*
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-2023 season*
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting today. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Iowa State senior Osun Osunniyi has been named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List, announced Friday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The initial watch list recognizes 20 players, as the award is handed out to the top center in men’s college basketball.
A transfer from St. Bonaventure, Osunniyi started 32 games for the Bonnies during the 2021-22 season. He led the team with 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots per game as he helped lead the Bonnies to the NIT Semifinals. Osunniyi led the Bonnies in field goal percentage at 61.3 percent, while averaging 11.3 points per game. The two-time Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, Osunniyi was named to the Lefty Driesell Defensive All-American Team last year.
“Rounding out the Men’s Starting Five Watch List is the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. The student-athletes on this list should feel tremendously proud of all they have accomplished to be associated with basketball’s all-time leading scorer,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “With his focus on both education and athletics, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s perspective is cherished by our committee when evaluating talent each year.”
2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates*
| Charles Bediako | Alabama | Moussa Cissé | Oklahoma State |
| Oumar Ballo | Arizona | Kel'el Ware | Oregon |
| PJ Hall | Clemson | Zach Edey | Purdue |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton | Clifford Omoruyi | Rutgers |
| Dereck Lively II | Duke | Fardaws Aimaq | Texas Tech |
| Colin Castleton | Florida | Adem Bona | UCLA |
| Osun Osunniyi | Iowa State | Adama Sanogo | UConn |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky | Branden Carlson | Utah |
| Hunter Dickinson | Michigan | Jamarion Sharp | Western Kentucky |
| Armando Bacot | North Carolina | Jack Nunge | Xavier |
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting today. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.
