UNC Basketball: Bacot named to Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List

Heading into his final season with the UNC basketball program, Armando Bacot has already solidified himself as one of the nation’s top centers.

It’s the last go-around for UNC basketball star big man Armando Bacot, as the fifth-year senior still has plenty to prove before his time in Chapel Hill comes to an end.

On Friday, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch list members for the 2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, an award presented annually to the nation’s top center.

To no surprise, Bacot is among the players on the list.

The preseason accolades have become common for Bacot, who has earned various Preseason All-American selections. Bacot is also regarded very highly in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as he was a Preseason All-ACC first-team selection and finished second in the voting for the conference’s preseason player of the year award.

Below is the list of players who made the initial watch list. It’s important to note that student-athletes can play their way on or off the list throughout the 2023-2024 season:

2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates

Oumar Ballo-Arizona
N’Faly Dante-Oregon
Johni Broome-Auburn
Zach Edey- Purdue
Ryan Kalkbrenner- Creighton
Clifford Omoruyi- Rutgers
Kel’el Ware- Indiana
Joel Soriano- St. John’s
Hunter Dickinson- Kansas
Aday Mara- UCLA
Aaron Bradshaw- Kentucky
Donovan Clingan- UConn
Jordan Brown- Memphis
Josh Cohen- UMass
Dawson Garcia- Minnesota
Branden Carlson- Utah
Armando Bacot- North Carolina
Eric Dixon-Villanova
Jamarion Sharp- Ole Miss
Jesse Edwards- West Virginia

The college basketball world is currently dominated by plenty of big-man talent, as Armando Bacot is certainly one of the brightest stars that the sport has to offer.

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