From Mike Cawood
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas senior Malique Ewin has been named 1 of 20 players on the 2026 watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
The annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, celebrates its 12th year by honoring the top centers in Division I men’s college basketball.
Ewin joins Razorbacks Darius Acuff Jr. (Bob Cousy Award) and Karter Knox (Julius Erving Award) as candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Men’s Starting Five.
Ewin came to Arkansas after one season at Florida State. He also played one season at South Plains (Texas) CC (2023-24), and one season at Ole Miss (2022-23). He has played 44 games in his DI career with 447 points (10.2 avg.), 245 rebounds (5.57 avg.) and 32 blocked shots while shooting 59.5% from the field.
At Florida State, Ewin averaged 14.2 points, recorded nine double-doubles and led the ACC, while ranking 17th nationally, by shooting 59.6% from the field. He led the Seminoles by averaging 7.6 rebounds and ranked third in the ACC (45th nationally) in offensive rebounding (3.07).
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting today (October 31).
In early February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in early March, to just five. Later in March, the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and 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 2026 Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy (Point Guard), the Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), the Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward).
