University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Oturu Named Finalist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award
2/7/2020 12:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sophomore center Daniel Oturu earned another national honor Friday, as the Minnesota big man was selected among the top-10 finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.
The honor, which was announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizes the top center in men's college basketball.
Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live today, February 7 via hoophallawards.com. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five.
Oturu is powering the Gophers this season, leading the team and averaging 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Those figures rank second and first in the Big Ten Conference while placing him 36th and seventh nationally, respectively. Oturu is also leading the Big Ten shooting 58.6 percent from the field, and is the conference's second-leading shot blocker (2.6 bpg).
The Woodbury, Minn., native has 12 double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and 12th in the nation. Oturu, who has started every game, has scored in double figures in all but one and has 11 games of 20 or more points.
Oturu was named to the John R. Wooden Award Top 20 Late Season Watch List earlier this week, recognizing the top candidates for the national player of the year award.
The Gophers return to action on Saturday, traveling to No. 22/19 Penn State for a 3 p.m. CT tip.
2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates*
The honor, which was announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizes the top center in men's college basketball.
Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live today, February 7 via hoophallawards.com. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five.
Oturu is powering the Gophers this season, leading the team and averaging 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Those figures rank second and first in the Big Ten Conference while placing him 36th and seventh nationally, respectively. Oturu is also leading the Big Ten shooting 58.6 percent from the field, and is the conference's second-leading shot blocker (2.6 bpg).
The Woodbury, Minn., native has 12 double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and 12th in the nation. Oturu, who has started every game, has scored in double figures in all but one and has 11 games of 20 or more points.
Oturu was named to the John R. Wooden Award Top 20 Late Season Watch List earlier this week, recognizing the top candidates for the national player of the year award.
The Gophers return to action on Saturday, traveling to No. 22/19 Penn State for a 3 p.m. CT tip.
2020 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates*
| Vernon Carey Jr. | Duke |
| Omer Yurtseven | Georgetown |
| Filip Petrusev | Gonzaga |
| Luka Garza | Iowa |
| Udoka Azubuike | Kansas |
| Daniel Oturu | Minnesota |
| Kaleb Wesson | Ohio State |
| Onyeka Okongwu | USC |
| Isaiah Stewart | Washington |
| Nathan Knight | William and Mary |
Cinematic Recap: Gophers-Bruins
Monday, March 02
Postgame Reaction: Coach Medved
Saturday, February 28
Highlights: Gophers 78, UCLA 73
Saturday, February 28
Highlights: Gophers 67, Michigan 77
Tuesday, February 24