University of North Carolina Athletics
Armando Bacot
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Bacot Named To Watch List For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award
February 4, 2022 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL—North Carolina's Armando Bacot is among 10 players on the watch list for the 2022 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 and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
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 and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969). 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. In 2021 The NBA created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, which honors players who are making strides in the fight for social justice.
College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late February, the watch list of 10 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed to 5. In March those finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2022 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 Point Guard Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward Award, in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include two-time winner Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Bacot Information
• Armando Bacot is second in the country in double-doubles with 17, third in rebounding at 12.6 per game and fourth in offensive rebounding (3.8).
• He leads the ACC in double-doubles, rebounding and offensive rebounds, is third in field goal percentage, sixth in blocks and seventh in scoring.
• Bacot leads Carolina in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage (.572) and blocks (37). He also led UNC in those categories last season. No Tar Heel has ever led in those four categories in consecutive seasons.
• Bacot leads the ACC in rebounding by 3.6 rebounds per game. Bacot is averaging 12.59, while NC State's Dereon Seabron is second with 8.96. Louisville's Malik Williams is third at 8.65.
• Bacot has double-digit rebounds in 13 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in UNC history.
2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates*
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2021-2022 season*
Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
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 and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969). 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. In 2021 The NBA created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, which honors players who are making strides in the fight for social justice.
College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late February, the watch list of 10 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed to 5. In March those finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2022 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 Point Guard Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward Award, in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include two-time winner Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Bacot Information
• Armando Bacot is second in the country in double-doubles with 17, third in rebounding at 12.6 per game and fourth in offensive rebounding (3.8).
• He leads the ACC in double-doubles, rebounding and offensive rebounds, is third in field goal percentage, sixth in blocks and seventh in scoring.
• Bacot leads Carolina in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage (.572) and blocks (37). He also led UNC in those categories last season. No Tar Heel has ever led in those four categories in consecutive seasons.
• Bacot leads the ACC in rebounding by 3.6 rebounds per game. Bacot is averaging 12.59, while NC State's Dereon Seabron is second with 8.96. Louisville's Malik Williams is third at 8.65.
• Bacot has double-digit rebounds in 13 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in UNC history.
2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates*
| Walker Kessler | Auburn |
| Adama Sanogo | Connecticut |
| Mark Williams | Duke |
| Drew Timme | Gonzaga |
| Kofi Cockburn | Illinois |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky |
| Hunter Dickinson | Michigan |
| Armando Bacot | North Carolina |
| Nate Watson | Providence |
| Zach Edey | Purdue |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2021-2022 season*
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Men's BasketballWBB: Post-UNCW Press Conference - Dec. 17, 2025
Thursday, December 18
UNC Women's Basketball: Brooks, Toomey Blow Heels Past UNCW, 84-34
Thursday, December 18
Blue Heaven: 2025 UNC Field Hockey, Episode 5
Wednesday, December 17
UNC Men's Basketball: Veesaar's Career High Leads 77-58 Win Over ETSU
Wednesday, December 17