Oct 30 | Men's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (SMU/Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame) – Sophomore Jaden Toombs is one of 20 candidates named to the 2027 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
Toombs played 27 games as a freshman, averaging 8.3 points (73rd ACC), 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists with 17 total blocks and 14 total steals while shooting 56.8% from the field. In the 2026 ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament, he averaged 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks while hitting 62.9% on field goals. He finished with 3 double-doubles for the year, including a 20-point (8-10 FG, 4-4 FT), 11-rebound performance in the NCAA First Four versus Miami (OH). He had a career-high 23 points (10-12 FG, 2-2 3FG, 1-1 FT) with 7 rebounds and a steal when the Mustangs played at No. 6 Duke. Toombs joined the Mustangs in 2025 as a four-star prospect from Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas where he was ranked No. 38 overall by ESPN, No. 45 by On3 and No. 47 by 247 Sports.
The Mustangs enter their third season under Head Coach Andy Enfield with one of the nation's top transfer classes, ranked No. 22 nationally by On3. SMU is coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 after earning two top-25 wins and appearing in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine seasons. The Mustangs tied for the ACC lead with three All-ACC selections and finished among the nation's top 30 in scoring, assists, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
SMU season tickets for the 2026-27 season are available HERE. Single-game tickets are available HERE. Additionally, Mustang Partners launched the Epoch Wine Bar, a new premium hospitality experience inside Moody Coliseum debuting this season. More information on the Epoch Wine Bar can be found HERE.
The annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, celebrates its 13th year by honoring the top centers in Division I men's college basketball.
The season opens Monday night at Moody Coliseum versus Southern at 7 p.m.
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Toombs played 27 games as a freshman, averaging 8.3 points (73rd ACC), 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists with 17 total blocks and 14 total steals while shooting 56.8% from the field. In the 2026 ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament, he averaged 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks while hitting 62.9% on field goals. He finished with 3 double-doubles for the year, including a 20-point (8-10 FG, 4-4 FT), 11-rebound performance in the NCAA First Four versus Miami (OH). He had a career-high 23 points (10-12 FG, 2-2 3FG, 1-1 FT) with 7 rebounds and a steal when the Mustangs played at No. 6 Duke. Toombs joined the Mustangs in 2025 as a four-star prospect from Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas where he was ranked No. 38 overall by ESPN, No. 45 by On3 and No. 47 by 247 Sports.
The Mustangs enter their third season under Head Coach Andy Enfield with one of the nation's top transfer classes, ranked No. 22 nationally by On3. SMU is coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 after earning two top-25 wins and appearing in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in nine seasons. The Mustangs tied for the ACC lead with three All-ACC selections and finished among the nation's top 30 in scoring, assists, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
SMU season tickets for the 2026-27 season are available HERE. Single-game tickets are available HERE. Additionally, Mustang Partners launched the Epoch Wine Bar, a new premium hospitality experience inside Moody Coliseum debuting this season. More information on the Epoch Wine Bar can be found HERE.
The annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, named after the Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, celebrates its 13th year by honoring the top centers in Division I men's college basketball.
The season opens Monday night at Moody Coliseum versus Southern at 7 p.m.
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| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award | |
| Motiejus Krivas | Arizona |
| Oswin Erhunmwunse | Creighton |
| Patrick Ngongba II | Duke |
| Rueben Chinyelu | Florida |
| Marcis Ponder | FSU |
| Massamba Diop | Gonzaga |
| Tomislav Ivišić | Illinois |
| Andrew McKeever | Iowa |
| Malachi Moreno | Kentucky |
| Flory Bidunga | Louisville |
| Sananda Fru | Marquette |
| Pharrel Payne | Maryland |
| Somo Cyril | Miami |
| Moustapha Thiam | Michigan |
| Daniel Jacobsen | Purdue |
| Jaden Toombs | SMU |
| Matas Vokietaitis | Texas |
| Luigi Suigo | Villanova |
| Johann Grünloh | Virginia |
| Nolan Winter | Wisconsin |
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Players Mentioned
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