WASHINGTON – Georgetown University senior Jessie Govan (Queens Village, N.Y./Wings Academy) is among 20 men's basketball players selected to the watch list for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor is in its fifth year of recognizing the top centers in men's college basketball.  The watch list of 20 candidates was determined by a national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel.
 
"Rounding out our Naismith Starting 5 is an award in honor of a man whose talent and accolades are unparalleled," said President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame John L. Doleva. "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar built a legacy at UCLA and continued his winning ways as a pro. We're grateful for his involvement in our college positional awards and the time and thought he dedicates toward selecting a recipient come April."
 
Last season, Govan started all 30 games and led the team with 17.9 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game. He scored his 1,000th point vs. Providence on February 24, 2018 and grabbed his 500th career rebound against St. John's on January 20, 2018.
 
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach and Hall of Famer John Wooden at the University of California Los Angeles from 1966-1969. He is a three-time NCAA Champion who earned numerous accolades including three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time National College Player of the Year and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969). As a professional, Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion, six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time NBA All-Star and the league's all-time leading scorer.
 
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 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 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, California on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5. Additional awards being presented and receiving support from Eaton Ephesus Lighting 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 Award. Broadcast information will be released by ESPN at a later date.