Ole Miss Men’s Basketball’s Jamarion Sharp Named to Watchlist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced their 20 student-athletes to the watchlist for the 2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award on Friday, selecting Ole Miss forward Jamarion Sharp to the list.

The tallest player in college basketball for the third-straight season at 7’5”, Sharp has already established himself as one of the most prolific shot blockers in NCAA history. The transfer from Western Kentucky has amassed 279 blocks in just two seasons, becoming just the fifth student-athlete all-time to lead the country in blocked shots twice in their career. Sharp’s average of 4.36 swats per contest entering the 2023-24 season rank as the 10^th-highest mark in NCAA history.

Sharp has been no stranger to preseason recognition during his collegiate career. While this marks the second consecutive year in which he finds himself on the watchlist for this award, he has also been a semifinalist for the 2022 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, a finalist for the 2022 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year, and watchlist selection to the 2023 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year.

The Rebels are set to begin the 2023-24 season with an exhibition next week, when they host Tusculum for an exhibition on Monday, October 30 at 7 p.m. in the SJB Pavilion. Admission for the friendly match will be free.

The regular season begins for Ole Miss the following Monday, November 6, with a home game against Alabama State at 7 p.m.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports