NCAA Division I basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player

NCAA Division I basketball tournament
Most Outstanding Player
SportCollege Basketball
CompetitionNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
Awarded forMost Outstanding Player
CountryUnited States
History
First award1939 (men)
1982 (women)
Editions87 (men)
44 (women)
Most winsBreanna Stewart (4)
Most recentElliot Cadeau, Michigan (men)
Lauren Betts, UCLA (women)

The Most Outstanding Player (MOP) is awarded to one player after the conclusion of the championship game of the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments. The award is also often referred to as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, referencing the conclusion of the Final Four semifinals and championship games. Accredited media members at the championship game vote on the award.

The players that win the award are predominantly members of the championship team. However, twelve men and one woman have won it as players on teams that did not win the championship. On the men's side, runner-up Houston's Akeem Olajuwon was the last to do so in 1983, while runner-up Virginia's Dawn Staley was the only woman to do so, in 1991. Of the twelve men, three players have won the award while not playing in the championship game; the other nine played for the runner-up. The teams for two of these players won the national third place game, and the other's team lost the national third place game.

One player's award has been officially vacated (not recognized) by the NCAA, while another player's was vacated but later restored. In 1971, Howard Porter won the award despite Villanova losing to UCLA in the championship game. Villanova later vacated their entire season. Meanwhile, Luke Hancock had his MOP award stripped when the NCAA vacated Louisville's 2013 national championship. His award was restored in 2019 when a lawsuit brought against the NCAA was settled, clearing his name of any wrongdoing in the team scandal.

Key

* Awarded a national player of the year award that same season:
Men – Sporting News; Oscar Robertson Trophy; Associated Press; NABC; UPI; Naismith; Wooden; Adolph Rupp Trophy; Helms
Women – Wade; Associated Press; Naismith; Wooden; WBCA
# Team lost the National Championship game
† Team won the National Third Place game
‡ Team lost the National Third Place game
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the MOP at that point
Italics Award/Appearance officially vacated by NCAA

Men's tournament

Jimmy Hull, Ohio State, 1939
Butch Lee, Marquette, 1977
Bobby Hurley, Duke, 1991
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina, 2009
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida, 2025
Year Player School Position Class Reference
1939 Jimmy Hull Ohio State# F Senior
1940 Marv Huffman Indiana F Senior
1941 John Kotz Wisconsin F Senior
1942 Howie Dallmar Stanford F Sophomore
1943 Ken Sailors Wyoming PG Junior
1944 Arnie Ferrin Utah SF / SG Freshman
1945 Bob Kurland Oklahoma State C Junior
1946 Bob Kurland* (2) Oklahoma State C Senior
1947 George Kaftan Holy Cross SF Sophomore
1948 Alex Groza Kentucky C Junior
1949 Alex Groza (2) Kentucky C Senior
1950 Irwin Dambrot CCNY F Senior
1951 Bill Spivey Kentucky C Senior
1952 Clyde Lovellette* Kansas C Senior
1953 B. H. Born Kansas# C Junior
1954 Tom Gola* La Salle SF Junior
1955 Bill Russell* San Francisco C Junior
1956 Hal Lear Temple† PG Senior
1957 Wilt Chamberlain Kansas# C Sophomore
1958 Elgin Baylor* Seattle# SF Junior
1959 Jerry West West Virginia# PG Junior
1960 Jerry Lucas Ohio State PF Sophomore
1961 Jerry Lucas* (2) Ohio State# PF Junior
1962 Paul Hogue* Cincinnati C Senior
1963 Art Heyman* Duke# SF / SG Senior
1964 Walt Hazzard* UCLA PG / SG Senior
1965 Bill Bradley* Princeton† SF Senior
1966 Jerry Chambers Utah‡ SF Senior
1967 Lew Alcindor* UCLA C Sophomore
1968 Lew Alcindor* (2) UCLA C Junior
1969 Lew Alcindor* (3) UCLA C Senior
1970 Sidney Wicks* UCLA PF Junior
1971 Howard Porter Villanova# PF / SF Senior
1972 Bill Walton* UCLA C Sophomore
1973 Bill Walton* (2) UCLA C Junior
1974 David Thompson NC State SG Junior
1975 Richard Washington UCLA PF / C Sophomore
1976 Kent Benson* Indiana C Junior
1977 Butch Lee Marquette PG Junior
1978 Jack Givens* Kentucky SG / SF Senior
1979 Magic Johnson Michigan State PG Sophomore
1980 Darrell Griffith* Louisville SG Senior
1981 Isiah Thomas Indiana PG Sophomore
1982 James Worthy North Carolina SF Junior
1983 Akeem Olajuwon* Houston# C Sophomore
1984 Patrick Ewing Georgetown C Junior
1985 Ed Pinckney Villanova SF / PF Senior
1986 Pervis Ellison Louisville C Freshman
1987 Keith Smart Indiana PG Junior
1988 Danny Manning* Kansas PF Senior
1989 Glen Rice Michigan SF Senior
1990 Anderson Hunt UNLV SG Sophomore
1991 Christian Laettner Duke PF / C Junior
1992 Bobby Hurley Duke PG Junior
1993 Donald Williams North Carolina PG / SG Sophomore
1994 Corliss Williamson Arkansas PF Sophomore
1995 Ed O'Bannon* UCLA PF Senior
1996 Tony Delk Kentucky PG / SG Senior
1997 Miles Simon Arizona SG Junior
1998 Jeff Sheppard Kentucky PG / SG Senior
1999 Richard Hamilton UConn SG Junior
2000 Mateen Cleaves Michigan State PG Senior
2001 Shane Battier* Duke SF Senior
2002 Juan Dixon Maryland PG / SG Senior
2003 Carmelo Anthony Syracuse SF / PF Freshman
2004 Emeka Okafor* UConn C Junior
2005 Sean May North Carolina PF Junior
2006 Joakim Noah Florida C Sophomore
2007 Corey Brewer Florida SF Junior
2008 Mario Chalmers Kansas PG Junior
2009 Wayne Ellington North Carolina SG Junior
2010 Kyle Singler Duke SF Junior
2011 Kemba Walker UConn PG Junior
2012 Anthony Davis* Kentucky C Freshman
2013 Luke Hancock Louisville SF Junior
2014 Shabazz Napier UConn PG Senior
2015 Tyus Jones Duke PG Freshman
2016 Ryan Arcidiacono Villanova PG / SG Senior
2017 Joel Berry II North Carolina PG Junior
2018 Donte DiVincenzo Villanova SG Sophomore
2019 Kyle Guy Virginia SG Junior
2020 Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Jared Butler Baylor PG Junior
2022 Ochai Agbaji Kansas SG Senior
2023 Adama Sanogo UConn PF Junior
2024 Tristen Newton UConn PG / SG Senior
2025 Walter Clayton Jr. Florida PG / SG Senior
2026 Elliot Cadeau Michigan PG Junior

Women's tournament

Cheryl Miller, USC, 1983 and 1984
Ruth Riley, Notre Dame, 2001
Breanna Stewart, UConn, 2013 through 2016
Azzi Fudd, UConn, 2025
Year Player School Position Class Reference
1982 Janice Lawrence Louisiana Tech F Sophomore
1983 Cheryl Miller USC SF Freshman
1984 Cheryl Miller* (2) USC SF Sophomore
1985 Tracy Claxton Old Dominion F Senior
1986 Clarissa Davis Texas F Freshman
1987 Tonya Edwards Tennessee G Freshman
1988 Erica Westbrooks Louisiana Tech F Senior
1989 Bridgette Gordon Tennessee F Senior
1990 Jennifer Azzi* Stanford PG Senior
1991 Dawn Staley* Virginia# PG Junior
1992 Molly Goodenbour Stanford G Junior
1993 Sheryl Swoopes* Texas Tech SG / SF Senior
1994 Charlotte Smith North Carolina F Junior
1995 Rebecca Lobo* UConn C Senior
1996 Michelle Marciniak Tennessee PG Senior
1997 Chamique Holdsclaw Tennessee SF Sophomore
1998 Chamique Holdsclaw* (2) Tennessee SF Junior
1999 Ukari Figgs Purdue G Senior
2000 Shea Ralph UConn PG Junior
2001 Ruth Riley* Notre Dame PF / C Senior
2002 Swin Cash UConn SF Senior
2003 Diana Taurasi* UConn PG / SG Junior
2004 Diana Taurasi* (2) UConn PG / SG Senior
2005 Sophia Young Baylor SF Junior
2006 Laura Harper Maryland PF / C Sophomore
2007 Candace Parker* Tennessee PF Junior
2008 Candace Parker* (2) Tennessee PF Senior
2009 Tina Charles UConn C Junior
2010 Maya Moore* UConn PF Junior
2011 Danielle Adams Texas A&M PF / C Senior
2012 Brittney Griner* Baylor C Junior
2013 Breanna Stewart UConn PF Freshman
2014 Breanna Stewart* (2) UConn PF Sophomore
2015 Breanna Stewart* (3) UConn PF Junior
2016 Breanna Stewart* (4) UConn PF Senior
2017 A'ja Wilson South Carolina C Junior
2018 Arike Ogunbowale Notre Dame PG Junior
2019 Chloe Jackson Baylor G Senior
2020 Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Haley Jones Stanford SG Sophomore
2022 Aliyah Boston* South Carolina PF / C Junior
2023 Angel Reese LSU PF Junior
2024 Kamilla Cardoso South Carolina C Senior
2025 Azzi Fudd UConn SG Senior
2026 Lauren Betts UCLA C Senior

Notes

  1. 1 2 Olajuwon later changed his first name's spelling from Akeem to Hakeem to use the original Arabic spelling.
  2. ↑ A national third place game was contested in the men's tournament from 1946 to 1981. The women's tournament never had a third place game.
  3. ↑ The MOP was not officially awarded after the 1951 championship game. However, the NCAA lists Bill Spivey as the winner of the 1951 MOP in its official record book.
  4. 1 2 3 Lew Alcindor later changed his named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
  5. ↑ Porter scored 25 points in a losing effort but was still named the MOP. However, he was later ruled ineligible for the honor because he had signed a professional contract with the ABA's Pittsburgh Condors during the middle of his senior year. The NCAA vacated both Porter's award and Villanova's entire season.
  6. ↑ Hancock had his MOP award stripped when the NCAA vacated Louisville's 2013 national championship. His award was restored in 2019 when a lawsuit brought against the NCAA was settled, clearing his name of any wrongdoing in the team scandal.

See also

References

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  14. ↑ "Tournament MVPs". Stevens Point Journal. Stevens Point, Wisconsin. April 8, 2003. p. 12. Retrieved August 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. 1951 – None selected
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