TUCSON, Ariz. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the Mid-Season Top 10 Candidates for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award on Friday and Arizona junior center Motiejus Krivas was among those listed.
 
Krivas was not among the 25 players listed on the preseason watch list for the award, but has been an instrumental part of the Arizona starting the year 22-0 and earning the top spot in the Associated Press poll for each of the last eight weeks.
 
Krivas is averaging 11.0 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots while shooting 60.7% from the floor and 80.9% at the free throw line. He has five double-doubles this season, highlighted by a 25-point, 12-rebound effort against Kansas State. The Lithuanian big man has 40 blocked shots this season after entering the year with 24 blocks over his first two seasons as a Wildcat.  
 
In mid-March, the Mid-Season Top 10 list will be narrowed to just five, and in late March, five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabber and the Hall of Fame selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
 
The winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with four other members of the Men's Starting Five.
 
The complete 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Mid-Season Watch List includes:
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Alex Condon, Florida
Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Aday Mara, Michigan
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
Henri Veesaar, North Carolina
Oscar Cluff, Purdue
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's
Tarris Reed, UConn
Hannes Steinbach, Washington
 
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