Kaleb Wesson one of ten finalists for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award

Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson has been named one of ten finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the best center annually.

Ohio State big man Kaleb Wesson has had an up and down season, and a roller coaster of a career in Columbus if we’re being honest with ourselves. He’s had games where he looks like one of the best players in the country, and he’s had other times where he’s struggled to stay on the court because of foul trouble and conditioning. Or others where he has had trouble dealing with double-teams and length in the frontcourt.

However, Tuesday was the former. In one of Wesson’s best games of his career, he put the Buckeyes on his back, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a whopping 36 minutes of play. Without him, Ohio State had no way of winning a hard-fought contest on the road against Michigan.

Now, Wesson has been recognized for a prestigious award. As of Friday, he has been named as one of ten finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to college basketball’s best big-man annually.

The other nine candidates include Vernon Carey Jr. (Duke), Omer Yurtseven (Georgetown), Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga), Luka Garza (Iowa), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), Daniel Oturu (Minnesota), Onyeka Okongwu (USC), Isaiah Stewart (Washington) and Nathan Knight (William and Mary).

Now a junior, the 6-9 Wesson has worked on remaking his body and game since he arrived in Columbus. His conditioning and footwork have gotten much better, and he is now a significant threat from beyond the arc. He has clearly taken the feedback he received from the NBA types to heart when he tested the waters after last season.

This year, Wesson leads the team in points (14.3) and rebounds (9.8) per game. He is shooting almost 50 percent from the field, and that includes a ridiculous 41.9 percent from three-point range.

It’ll still be a little while before we know who wins this honor. The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award won’t be handed out until April 10 at the College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles.