Arizona center Chase Jeter receives recognition from NCAA.com

Chase Jeter was one of the few bright spots for the Arizona Wildcats in 2018-19, experiencing a breakout season after two underwhelming years at Duke.

After sitting out 2017-18 due to NCAA transfer rules, the former McDonald’s All-American averaged 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while also being one of the nation’s leaders in drawn charges.

Andy Katz of NCAA.com expects even more from Jeter in 2019-20, listing the Arizona center as the No. 11 player on his list of candidates for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which is given to the nation’s top center annually.

“Jeter has seen steady improvement since transferring from Duke. He’ll have a stellar recruiting class around him and a lead guard in Nico Mannion who can feed him often,” Katz wrote.

Jeter could also benefit from improved health and simply having another year to refine his game. The big man tailed off at the end of last season as he dealt with nagging back and knee injuries.

He also could gain from the NCAA extending the 3-point line to international distance, which will give traditional back-to-the-basket post players more space to operate in the paint.