SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – William & Mary junior Nathan Knight was named one of five finalists for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, Pac-12 Player of the Century and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.  
 
An All-CAA First Team selection, Knight has enjoyed a standout junior campaign. He is averaging 21 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 blocked shots per game. Knight is the first college basketball player since Tim Duncan at Wake Forest in 1996-97 to average 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots per game. Knight's scoring average is the highest for a Tribe player since 1968 and his 630 points rank fifth in program history.
 
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 21 student-athletes in October, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February before the five finalists were announced. This month, the finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 8-29.
 
"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar built a legacy at UCLA with unparalleled accolades as an individual and as part of a championship winning team," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "To be acknowledged as a finalist for the award that bears his name is a remarkable honor and I hope these student-athletes feel a great sense of pride."
 
Along with Knight, the finalists for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are Jesse Govan (Georgetown), Bruno Fernando (Maryland), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky) and Ethan Happ (Wisconsin).
 
"The Naismith Starting 5 is an opportunity for the Hall of Fame to annually celebrate the best in the college game," said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1995. "We've had some really remarkable winners over the past four seasons and I look forward to meeting this year's winner in Los Angeles."
 
Earlier this season, Knight set a W&M school record with three-straight 30-point games, including back-to-back 35-point efforts. He scored a career-high 39 points, the fifth most in W&M history, at Hofstra on Feb. 9. The Syracuse, N.Y., native has 11 double-doubles on the season which are the most for a Tribe player since 1992-93. He is shooting 58.5 percent from the field and 72.9 percent at the free throw line on the year.
 
Nationally, Knight ranks 16th in total field goals (231), 21st in total blocks (66), 22nd in free throw made (159), 23rd in total points (630), 26th in blocked shots per game (2.2), 31st in field goal percentage (58.5), 33rd in points per game (21.0), 36th in double-doubles (11), 58th in total rebounds (255) and 68th in rebounds per game (8.5).
 
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. Additional information about the telecast 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).
 
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #KareemAward on Twitter and Instagram.
 
About Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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, three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969) and Pac-12 Player of the Century. 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.
 
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 501(c)(3) 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. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.