SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – UCLA senior center Thomas Welsh has been named as one of 20 players selected to the watch list for the 2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, as announced Friday.
 
Named after Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor (now in its fourth year) recognizes the nation's top centers in Division I men's college basketball. Abdul-Jabbar led UCLA to NCAA titles in 1967, 1968 and 1969 before being selected No. 1 in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
 
Welsh, a 7-foot center from Redondo Beach, Calif., has averaged 11.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game the past two seasons – starting in 58 of the Bruins' 68 contests during that span. Through three seasons at UCLA, he has played in 99 career games. Welsh finished his junior season (2016-17) with nine double-doubles and ranked seventh among all Pac-12 players in rebounding (8.7 rpg).
 
A two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection, Welsh made his first 28 consecutive free throws last season after he had concluded his sophomore campaign with 16 straight makes. That streak of 44 consecutive free throws eclipsed the prior school record of 43, set by Darren Collison in 2008-09.
 
In all last year, Welsh made 42 of 47 free throws and shot 58.5 percent of his field goal attempts. He also made his only career three-point attempt in the Bruins' final home game of the season.
 
By mid-February of 2018, the award's watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented to the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on Friday, April 6.
 
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include Przemek Karnowski (2017, Gonzaga), Jakob Poeltl (2016, Utah) and Frank Kaminsky (2015, Wisconsin).

2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates