Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus DePaul on February 7, 2026 , Win , 90, to, 72
Men's Basketball
vs DePaul
Final
90
-
72
Providence College Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Feeney
Nate Watson Named To Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason Watch List
10/22/2021 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Watson was one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today (Oct. 22) that Providence College graduate center Nate Watson (Portsmouth, Va.) was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason Watch list. It marks the second honor this week for Watson, who was named to the 2021-22 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team on Tuesday. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Watson (Portsmouth, Va.), who earned 2021 All-BIG EAST Second Team accolades, NABC All-District 5 Second Team honors and USBWA All-District 1 accolades, led the Friars in scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg) last season. He also ranked third in the league in scoring (16.9 ppg). In 26 games last season, he recorded four double-doubles and seven games with 20 or more points. Watson shot 60 percent (180-299) from the field, which ranked second overall in the league. He was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll four times last season. Watson scored a career-high 30 points in the Friars' loss to St. John's on February 6, 2021. He also had a career-high 13 field goals in the game. Watson was 13-20 from field. He scored his 1,000th career point on December 20, 2020 in the Friars' win at Seton Hall. He became the 51st Friar all-time to register 1,000 career points. In 122 career games, Watson has registered 1,317 points (10.8 ppg).
College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward Award, in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include two-time winner 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).
The Friars, who finished the 2020-21 season with a 13-13 mark overall, were picked to finish seventh in the 2021-22 Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Friars will open their season on Tuesday, November 9 versus Fairfield at 7:00 p.m. at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
Fans interested in purchasing season tickets for the 2021-22 season, can visit Friars.com or call 401-865-GO PC.
2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates*
Walker Kessle -Auburn
Nick Muszynski -Belmont
Mark Williams - Duke
Colin Castleton- Florida
Chet Holmgren -Gonzaga
Kofi Cockburn -Illinois
David McCormack -Kansas
Oscar Tshiebwe - Kentucky
Ahsan Asadullah -Lipscomb
Qudus Wahab - Maryland
Jalen Duren - Memphis
Hunter Dickinson - Michigan
Armando Bacot - North Carolina
Moussa Cisse - Oklahoma State
Nate Watson - Providence
Zach Edey - Purdue
Osun Osunniyi - St. Bonaventure
Myles Johnson - UCLA
Fardaws Aimaq - Utah Valley
Liam Robbins - Vanderbilt
-GO FRIARS!-
Players Mentioned
C
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