With the college basketball regular season nearing its conclusion, it is time to start considering which players are deserving of the biggest awards in the game. Last week we broke down the players to watch for the Wooden Award, given annually to the best player in college basketball. Now, it is time to examine the favorites for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Position Awards.
Next up is the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award — given annually to the best center in college basketball. Among the 10 finalists is Purdue center Zach Edey, one of the best big men to ever grace the court. Can anyone step up and prevent Zach Edey from winning the award for the second year in a row?
Zach Edey (Purdue)
As long as Zach Edey is averaging 20-point double-doubles, he is going to be the overwhelming favorite to win every award he is nominated for. His dominance and efficiency are on a generational scale. He is the best offensive player in the country and the most influential defensive player. Somehow his offensive efficiency is up from last year — a season where he averaged 22.3 PPG and shot 60.7% from the field. It would take either a catastrophic finish for Edey or an all-time run from one of these contenders for the Purdue center to not earn his second consecutive award for Center of the Year.
Johni Broome (Auburn)
The best interior defender in the country is not Zach Edey and the best interior defense in the land does not belong to Houston. Those honors belong to Johni Broome and the Auburn defense that he anchors. Opponents make just 42.1% of their two-point attempts against the Tigers and are shooting only 47% on near-proximity attempts — both best all of college basketball. With a defensive box plus-minus of 5.6 (5th in NCAA) and a defensive rating of 86.3 (4th in NCAA), no forward is better in both statistical categories than Johni Broome.
Offensively, Broome is no slouch either. The former Morehead State transfer is averaging 16.2 PPG and he put up 30 against Virginia Tech earlier in the season. It almost goes without saying at this point, but Broome would be the favorite to take home the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award if not for Edey.
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
Speaking of two-way presences, Ryan Kalkbrenner has been a consistent different-maker both offensively and defensively for Creighton over the last three years. Kalkbrenner is fifth in the nation with 2.7 blocks per game — the best of his career — while also offering explosive scoring. The seven-footer has three games this season with at least 28 points, including wins over Seton Hall and Xavier in Big East play.
The senior is almost unstoppable when he gets the ball in the paint, shooting 75.4 on shots at the rim. Kalkbrenner does have his shortcomings as a rebounder, but the Creighton big man excels in his role as a rim-protector and post scorer.
PJ Hall (Clemson)
To say PJ Hall came out of nowhere would be unfair to a guy who was 2022-23 All-ACC Third Team, but Hall has blossomed in his fourth year at Clemson. His 19.6 PPG is second in the ACC and his resume includes 21 points at Alabama, 31 points against Georgia Tech, and 25 points in an upset win over North Carolina.
Follow Us
Subscribe