Indiana University Athletics
Ballo Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watchlist
11/1/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the preseason watchlist for the 2025 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, including Indiana sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo, on Friday.
Named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award celebrates its 11th year by honoring the top centers in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watchlist of 20 athletes.
The winner of the 2025 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 Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving (Small Forward), and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are Zach Edey, Purdue (2023-24), Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), 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).
The 7-0, 260-pound center averaged 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in three seasons at Arizona. He shot 64.6% (466-of-721) from the floor and posted 34 double-doubles, third most in Arizona basketball history. He was one of 10 players in program history to accumulate at least 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds.
Ballo was twice named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team two times, and voted to a pair of Pac-12 All-Tournament Teams. He was named the 2022-23 Pac-12 Most Improved Player, the 2022 Maui Invitational Most Outstanding Player, and the 2021-22 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year.
Ballo began his career at Gonzaga with a redshirt season in 2019-20 before earning a spot in the rotation for a Bulldog program that finished 31-1, won both the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Championship game. Overall, Ballo has won 84.8% (112-of-132) of the games he has appeared in throughout his career.
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the home slate of the 2024-25 season with an exhibition against Marian at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 1. The regular season will start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 6 against SIUE at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
2025 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR CENTER OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON CANDIDATES*
Clifford Omoruyi, Alabama
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State
Jonas Aidoo, Arkansas
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Khaman Maluach, Duke
OUMAR BALLO, INDIANA
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Amari Williams, Kentucky
Derik Queen, Maryland
Vladislav Goldon, Michigan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Malik Dia, Ole Miss
Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's
Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
Eddie Lampkin, Syracuse
William Kyle III, UCLA
Samson Johnson, UConn
Efton Reid II, Wake Forest
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season
@IndianaMBB
For all the latest on Indiana University men's basketball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMBB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award celebrates its 11th year by honoring the top centers in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watchlist of 20 athletes.
The winner of the 2025 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 Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving (Small Forward), and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are Zach Edey, Purdue (2023-24), Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), 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).
The 7-0, 260-pound center averaged 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in three seasons at Arizona. He shot 64.6% (466-of-721) from the floor and posted 34 double-doubles, third most in Arizona basketball history. He was one of 10 players in program history to accumulate at least 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds.
Ballo was twice named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team two times, and voted to a pair of Pac-12 All-Tournament Teams. He was named the 2022-23 Pac-12 Most Improved Player, the 2022 Maui Invitational Most Outstanding Player, and the 2021-22 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year.
Ballo began his career at Gonzaga with a redshirt season in 2019-20 before earning a spot in the rotation for a Bulldog program that finished 31-1, won both the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Championship game. Overall, Ballo has won 84.8% (112-of-132) of the games he has appeared in throughout his career.
The Indiana Hoosiers will open the home slate of the 2024-25 season with an exhibition against Marian at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 1. The regular season will start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 6 against SIUE at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
2025 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR CENTER OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESEASON CANDIDATES*
Clifford Omoruyi, Alabama
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State
Jonas Aidoo, Arkansas
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Khaman Maluach, Duke
OUMAR BALLO, INDIANA
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Amari Williams, Kentucky
Derik Queen, Maryland
Vladislav Goldon, Michigan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Malik Dia, Ole Miss
Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's
Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
Eddie Lampkin, Syracuse
William Kyle III, UCLA
Samson Johnson, UConn
Efton Reid II, Wake Forest
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season
@IndianaMBB
For all the latest on Indiana University men's basketball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaMBB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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