Jessie Govan Named Top-10 Finalist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award

Press release from Georgetown:

Jessie Govan Named Top-10 Finalist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award

WASHINGTON – Georgetown University’s Jessie Govan (Queens Village, N.Y. / Wings Academy) was named one of 10 candidates for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. The award recognizes the top centers in men’s college basketball.

Govan leads the Hoyas with 18.3 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from downtown. He adds 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game as well.

In the BIG EAST, Govan ranks fourth in scoring, third in rebounding and blocks, and is fifth overall in 3-point shooting.

Govan has posted seven double-doubles on the season and recently eclipsed the 1,500 career point mark.

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 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).

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.

2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates

Daniel Gafford, Arkansas

Nick Perkins, Buffalo

Nico Carvacho, Colorado State

Jessie Govan, Georgetown

Bruno Fernando, Maryland

Nick Ward, Michigan State

Moses Brown, UCLA

Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky

Nathan Knight, William & Mary

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin