MADISON, Wis. – Micah Potter proved his value from the moment he joined the Badgers active roster last season. Now heading into his first full season at Wisconsin, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is taking notice, naming the senior a candidate for the 2021 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award on Friday.
Potter is one of 20 watch list candidates, and one of five from the Big Ten, for the nation’s best center. The Mentor, Ohio native is Wisconsin’s third candidate for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award and first since Ethan Happ in 2019.
In the six-year history of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, two Badgers have taken home the honor, most recently Ethan Happ in 2019 and Frank Kaminsky in 2015 as the inaugural winner.
When the time came for Potter to suit up for the Badgers, the Ohio State transfer was ready. Emerging as one of the most valuable reserves during Big Ten play last season, Potter averaged 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds while shooting 54.2 percent (46.9% 3FG) in just 18.9 minutes per game.
In fact, Potter put together one of Wisconsin’s better seasons from an efficiency standpoint in the past 25 years. Per 40 minutes of action, he averaged 22.8 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. That trailed only Alando Tucker (24.3 ppg/40), Ethan Happ (23.2 ppg/40) and Sean Mason (23.0 ppg/40) for UW since 1996-97.
In late January, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award watch list of 20 players will be narrowed down to just 10. In late February, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2021 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented April 9, 2021.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Luka Garza, Iowa (2020), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
2021 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR AWARD CANDIDATES
Matt Haarms – BYU
Mark Williams – Duke
Kofi Cockburn – Illinois
Luka Garza – Iowa
Olivier Sarr – Kentucky
Ahsan Asadullah – Lipscomb
Cameron Krutwig – Loyola Chicago
Mousa Cisse – Memphis
Liam Robbins – Minnesota
Armando Bacot – North Carolina
Walker Kessler – North Carolina
Trevion Williams – Purdue
Grant Golden – Richmond
Evan Mobley – USC
Neemias Queta – Utah State
Jay Huff – Virginia
Derek Culver – West Virginia
Charles Bassey – Western Kentucky
Micah Potter – Wisconsin
Loudon Love – Wright State
*players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2020-21 season
Potter is one of 20 watch list candidates, and one of five from the Big Ten, for the nation’s best center. The Mentor, Ohio native is Wisconsin’s third candidate for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award and first since Ethan Happ in 2019.
In the six-year history of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, two Badgers have taken home the honor, most recently Ethan Happ in 2019 and Frank Kaminsky in 2015 as the inaugural winner.
When the time came for Potter to suit up for the Badgers, the Ohio State transfer was ready. Emerging as one of the most valuable reserves during Big Ten play last season, Potter averaged 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds while shooting 54.2 percent (46.9% 3FG) in just 18.9 minutes per game.
In fact, Potter put together one of Wisconsin’s better seasons from an efficiency standpoint in the past 25 years. Per 40 minutes of action, he averaged 22.8 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. That trailed only Alando Tucker (24.3 ppg/40), Ethan Happ (23.2 ppg/40) and Sean Mason (23.0 ppg/40) for UW since 1996-97.
In late January, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award watch list of 20 players will be narrowed down to just 10. In late February, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2021 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented April 9, 2021.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Luka Garza, Iowa (2020), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
2021 KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR AWARD CANDIDATES
Matt Haarms – BYU
Mark Williams – Duke
Kofi Cockburn – Illinois
Luka Garza – Iowa
Olivier Sarr – Kentucky
Ahsan Asadullah – Lipscomb
Cameron Krutwig – Loyola Chicago
Mousa Cisse – Memphis
Liam Robbins – Minnesota
Armando Bacot – North Carolina
Walker Kessler – North Carolina
Trevion Williams – Purdue
Grant Golden – Richmond
Evan Mobley – USC
Neemias Queta – Utah State
Jay Huff – Virginia
Derek Culver – West Virginia
Charles Bassey – Western Kentucky
Micah Potter – Wisconsin
Loudon Love – Wright State
*players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2020-21 season
