SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Gonzaga's Graham Ike was named one of five finalists for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday.
 
Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its 12th year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.
 
The five finalists for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award are Ike, Alex Condon (Florida), Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Henri Veesar (North Carolina), and Zuby Ejiofor (St. John's).
 
Ike was recently named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. Ike ranks first in the WCC in scoring (19.7), second in rebounding (8.2), and first in field goal percentage (.573). In WCC play, he is first in scoring (21.9), in field goal percentage (.613), and second in rebounds (8.2). His 14 double-doubles this season ranks 16th in the nation. He had two games with nine rebounds with double-digit scoring. He's reached double-digit scoring in all but one game. Ike recorded his double-double of season in the win at Santa Clara, passing Drew Timme for the most games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (16) by a Gonzaga player in the last 30 seasons. Ike leads WCC with three 30-point games this season.
 
Ike is first in the nation among active players with 2,531 career points. His 1,133 rebounds rank second. No other player has 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Ike became only the 86th player in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 2,500 points in a career. Ike also leads the country with 975 field goals made in his career and is fourth with 535 made free-throws. His 45-career double-doubles rank third.
 
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting starting on Friday on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
 
Later this month, the finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committees. The Selection Committees for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers. The winners of the 2026 Abdul-Jabbar and Leslie Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), and the Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward).
 
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award include Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton (2025), Zach Edey, Purdue (2023-24), Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award
NAME	SCHOOL
Alex Condon	Florida
Graham Ike	Gonzaga
Flory Bidunga	Kansas
Henri Veesaar	North Carolina
Zuby Ejiofor	St. John's