Ole Miss Rebels Forward Jamarion Sharp Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Watch List

Jamarion Sharp of the Ole Miss Rebels received some preseason love on Friday afternoon.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Jamarion Sharp is the tallest player in college basketball, and he just might prove to be the best center in the country this season, according to one award committee.

On Friday, Sharp (listed at 7 feet, five inches) was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Watch List, an honor awarded annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Sharp was one of 20 athletes across the country to get the preseason nod.

This will be Sharp's first year in an Ole Miss Rebels uniform, but while he suited up with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, he racked up 279 blocks in two seasons, becoming the fifth player all-time to lead the country in blocked shots twice in their career. He averages 4.36 blocks per game entering this season, good for 10th-best in NCAA history.

Jan 28, 2023; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers center Jamarion Sharp (33) grabs a rebound from Florida Atlantic Owls center Vladislav Goldin (50) during the first half at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / © Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

This marks the second-consecutive year where Sharp has been named to this preseason watch list, and he was also a semifinalist for the 2022 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the 2022 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year.

Sharp and the Rebels will see their first (unofficial) action on Monday when they play host to Division II Tusculum in an exhibition. The official season tip-off is set for a week later on Nov. 6 at home against the Alabama State Hornets.

Both contests are set to begin at 7 p.m. CT, and the game against Alabama State will be streamed on SEC Network+.