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Duke basketball: Vernon Carey Jr. falls short in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar race

By Kevin Connelly

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - Jordan Goldwire, Vernon Carey Jr., and Matthew Hurt of the Duke basketball team react after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 10, 2020, in Durham, North Carolina. The Blue Devils won, 70-65. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - Jordan Goldwire, Vernon Carey Jr., and Matthew Hurt of the Duke basketball team react after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 10, 2020, in Durham, North Carolina. The Blue Devils won, 70-65. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Duke basketball center Vernon Carey Jr. fell short in the voting for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which is given to the best center in the country.

Vernon Carey Jr. put together a sensational season in his first year as a Duke basketball player, which ended up in his being named an All-American and the ACC Rookie of the Year.

However, Carey Jr. was bested by Iowa’s Luka Garza for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which is given to the best center in the country.

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Garza was the runner-up for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award to Dayton power forward Obi Toppin as all of the nation’s awards were presented on Tuesday afternoon.

The Iowa center averaged 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range and was named as a consensus All-American as well as the Big Ten Player of the Year.

Vernon Carey Jr. posted 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per contest while shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from 3-point territory.

Luka Garza also beat out finalists Filip Petrusev of Gonzaga, Udoka Azubuike of Kansas, and Nathan Knight of William & Mary for the prestigious honor.

It is likely that the 2019-20 season will be the only one for Vernon Carey Jr. in Durham as the overwhelming expectation is that he will enter the 2020 NBA Draft, although there has been no official announcement yet.

ALSO READ: Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Jr. named as All-Americans

Two other Blue Devils have already opted to leave Duke early to pursue professional careers in sophomore point guard Tre Jones and freshman guard Cassius Stanley.

Jones was also up for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the top point guard in the country, but ultimately fell short to Oregon’s Payton Pritchard.

ALSO READ: Duke Player Review: Vernon Carey Jr.’s domination unmatched

Should Vernon Carey Jr. opt to head for the professional ranks, Duke will have a young and inexperienced frontcourt with freshmen Mark Williams, Henry Coleman, and Jaemyn Brakefield in addition to Columbia graduate transfer Patrick Tape.

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