Hannes Steinbach Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watchlist as Freshman Campaign Turns Heads
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Washington’s Hannes Steinbach is making a serious case for national recognition, and the college basketball world is starting to take notice. The freshman big man has been named to the Midseason Watchlist for the 2025-26 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award - a prestigious honor handed out annually to the top center in the country by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
And here’s the kicker: Steinbach isn’t just holding his own among veterans and upperclassmen - he’s outpacing them.
Through the heart of the season, Steinbach is putting up eye-popping numbers: 17.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Not only do those stats lead the Huskies, but they also place him ahead of every other player on the award watchlist in both categories. His 11.5 boards per game rank third nationally, and he’s doing it with the consistency of a seasoned pro.
On Wednesday, Steinbach etched his name into the Washington record books with his 15th double-double of the season - the most ever by a Husky freshman. That mark also stands as the second-highest total in the country this year, and we’re still in early February. If he keeps this pace, he’ll become just the fourth player in Washington history to average a double-double for an entire season - and the first to do it in 56 years.
The 6-foot-10 center from Würzburg, Germany, has been a force in the paint all season long. He’s not just padding stats against weaker competition either. Steinbach has recorded eight games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, and seven of those have come against Power Five opponents - tying him with Texas Tech’s JT Toppin for the most such games in that category.
What’s most impressive is how Steinbach has adapted to the college game with such poise and polish. He’s become a cornerstone for a Washington team that’s faced a gauntlet of top-tier talent - having played or scheduled to play 15 of the 50 players named to the various Naismith Hall of Fame Player of the Year award watchlists.
Fans now have the chance to make their voices heard in the award process. Voting for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award is open at hoophallawards.com, and the fan vote will count as one vote in the selection committee’s final decision.
Next up for Steinbach and the Huskies: a road test at UCLA this Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. PT at the iconic Pauley Pavilion - another opportunity for the freshman phenom to showcase his game on a big stage.
Washington fans looking for more behind-the-scenes insight into this remarkable season can check out Meant for Montlake, a new podcast hosted by the voice of the Huskies, Tony Castricone. The first five episodes are now available at GoHuskies.com/MeantForMontlake and on all major podcast platforms.