A Creighton basketball player is one of 20 finalists for a national award.
Creighton junior Oswin Erhunmwunse was announced as a player on the preseason watch list for the 2027 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced in a press release.
The annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, celebrates its 13th year by honoring the top center in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball. Two years ago Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner won the award.
Erhunmwunse arrives at Creighton after spending the previous two seasons at Providence, where he started 55 of 65 games for the Friars and recorded 445 points, 454 rebounds and 122 blocked shots. The native of Benin City, Nigeria is a two-time Preseason Third Team All-BIG EAST selection.
Fans can vote online for their favorite player in the competition. In February, the list will be narrowed to 10 players, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
This year’s candidates include:
- Flory Bidunga, Louisville
- Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
- Somto Cyril, Miami
- Massamba Diop, Gonzaga
- Oswin Erhunmwunse, Creighton
- Sananda Fru, Marquette
- Johann Grünloh, Virginia
- Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
- Daniel Jacobsen, Purdue
- Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
- Andrew McKeever, Iowa
- Malachi Moreno, Kentucky
- Patrick Ngongba II, Duke
- Pharrel Payne, Maryland
- Marcis Ponder, FSU
- Luigi Suigo, Villanova
- Moustapha Thiam, Michigan
- Jaden Toombs, SMU
- Matas Vokietaitis, Texas
- Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
The winner of the 2027 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 Award (small forward) and the Karl Malone Award (power forward).