DURHAM, N.C. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today Duke freshman
Vernon Carey Jr., as a finalist for the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
Carey joins Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga), Luka Garza (Iowa), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and Nathan Knight (William & Mary) as the finalists for the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.
The winner of this award, along with the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award for which Duke's
Tre Jones is a finalist, will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies is now live on hoophallawards.com.
Carey has recorded 14 double-doubles this season, which are ranked second among NCAA freshmen and second in the ACC. Nine of Carey's double-doubles have been 20-10 performances, while 13 have come as 15-10 games. His .577 field goal percentage leads the conference, ranks fourth among NCAA freshmen and is fifth nationally among players with at least 330 field goal attempts. The Miami, Fla., native averages 28.4 points per 40 minutes, which is third among power conference players.
The freshman is the only player ranked in the ACC's top 10 in scoring (third, 17.6), rebounding (third, 8.7), field goal percentage and blocked shots (sixth, 1.6). He has earned ACC Player of the Week recognition twice this season and was named ACC Freshman of the Week four times. He is also a national semifinalist for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, presented to the top player in college basketball.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award finalists
Udoka Azubuike -- Kansas
Vernon Carey Jr. -- Duke
Luka Garza -- Iowa
Nathan Knight -- William & Mary
Filip Petrusev -- Gonzaga
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