October 30, 2026 | Men's Basketball
News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday that Fighting Illini 5th-year Tomislav Ivisic is one of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2027 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.
Named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award celebrates its 13th year by recognizing the top centers in Division I men's college basketball.
Ivisic averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds last season for the Illini. He ranked ninth in the country in 2-point field goal shooting at 73% (81-111), while also draining 50 three-pointers and shooting nearly 78% from the free throw line. Ivisic was at his best during the NCAA Tournament, scoring in double figures in four of the five games during Illinois' run to the Final Four while averaging 12.8 points and 6.4 boards.
This is the second year in a row that Ivisic appears on the Abdul-Jabbar Watch List.
2027 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates*
Flory Bidunga, Louisville
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Somto Cyril, Miami
Massamba Diop, Gonzaga
Oswin Erhunmwunse, Creighton
Sananda Fru, Marquette
Johann Grunloh, 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, Florida State
Luigi Suigo, Villanova
Moustapha Thiam, Michigan
Jaden Toombs, SMU
Matas Vokietaitis, Texas
Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2026-27 season.
In partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), 20 watch-list candidates for the 2027 Lisa Leslie Award also were announced, honoring the top centers in NCAA Division I women's basketball.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting today, via hoophallawards.com. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar, Leslie, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. 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 winner of the 2027 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 are Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's (2026), Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton (2025), Zach Edey, Purdue (2023-24), Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016), and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
Previous winners of the Lisa Leslie Award are Lauren Betts, UCLA (2025-26), Cameron Brink, Stanford (2024), Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (2020-23), Megan Gustafson, Iowa (2019), and A'ja Wilson, South Carolina (2018).
For more information on the 2027 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #KareemAward, and #LeslieAward on X and Instagram.
