COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland men's basketball center Qudus Wahab has been named one of 20 watch list members for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.

A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates to recognize the top centers in Division I men's college basketball.

Wahab is the first Terrapin to be named to the Abdul-Jabbar Award preseason watch list since Bruno Fernando in 2018-19. The award was introduced in the 2014-15 season.

Wahab is the third Maryland player to be recognized for a preseason positional award, as Eric Ayala was named to the West Award watch list and Donta Scott was named to the Malone Award watch list. It is the most preseason recognitions since the Terps' had four players recognized for positional awards in 2015-16.

One of the top transfers on the market in the offseason, Wahab averaged 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in a breakout sophomore season at Georgetown last year. He was named to the Big East All-Tournament team, averaging 14.3 points as he led the Hoyas to the Big East Tournament title.

Wahab reached double-figures in 19-of-26 games last season, including 10 of the final 11 games to close the year.

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five 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, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year 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).

For more information on the 2022 Abdul-Jabbar Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #AbdulJabbarAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, October 22.

2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates* 
Walker Kessler - Auburn
Nick Muszyinski - Belmont
Mark Williams - Duke
Colin Castleton - Florida
Chet Holmgren - Gonzaga
Kofi Cockburn - Illinois
David McCormack - Kansas
Oscar Tshiebwe - Kentucky
Ahsan Asadullah - Lipscomb
Qudus Wahab - Maryland
Jalen Duren - Memphis
Hunter Dickinson - Michigan
Armando Bacot - North Carolina
Moussa Cisse - Oklahoma State
Nate Watson - Providence
Zach Edey - Purdue
Osun Osunniyi - St. Bonaventure
Myles Johnson - UCLA
Fardaws Aimaq - Utah Valley
Liam Robbins - Vanderbilt

*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2021-22 season*

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 and or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.

Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact
Patrick Kurish, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com