COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou junior big-man Jeremiah Tilmon, Jr., is one of just 20 players in the nation named to the preseason watch list for the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the esteemed list on Friday.
Tilmon, Jr., is one of just two players from the Southeastern Conference on the watch list alongside Florida's Kerry Blackshear. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its sixth 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.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Tilmon, Jr., averaged 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds, and blocked a team-high 25 shots as a sophomore anchoring the paint for Mizzou. The 6-foot-10, 260-pound center shot a blistering 54.5-percent from the field last season (126-of-231), which is the highest returning field goal percentage of any SEC player returning in 2019-20. Tilmon, Jr., became just the second Tiger in the past three decades to shoot above 54 percent in back-to-back seasons, joining single-season school record holder Ricardo Ratliffe.
Tilmon, Jr., reached double figures 15 times as a sophomore with Mizzou going 10-5 in those contests. He racked up four double-doubles and snatched at least five rebounds in 23 of 31 games. He was named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 23 after dominant outings against Xavier (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Illinois (16 points, 12 rebounds).
New to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed down to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. The watch list is fluid as players can play their way on or off the list during the season.
Tilmon, Jr., and Mizzou tip off the 2019-20 campaign on Nov. 6 vs. Incarnate Word. The Tigers are also hosting a public exhibition contest vs. Central Missouri on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team at @MizzouHoops (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).