NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships (the "Final Four" tournaments), the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP usually is awarded to a member of the Championship team. There have been 12 instances where the winner was not on the championship team. The last man to win the award despite not being on the Championship team was Akeem Olajuwon (Now known as Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston) in 1983. Dawn Staley (Virginia) was the only woman to do so, when she won the award in 1991.
Past winners
An asterisk (*) next to a player's name indicates they did not play for the championship team.
NCAA Men's Division I MOP Award
- 1939 – Jimmy Hull, Ohio State*
- 1940 – Marvin Huffman, Indiana
- 1941 – John Kotz, Wisconsin
- 1942 – Howie Dallmar, Stanford
- 1943 – Ken Sailors, Wyoming
- 1944 – Arnie Ferrin, Utah
- 1945 – Bob Kurland, Oklahoma A&M
- 1946 – Bob Kurland, Oklahoma A&M
- 1947 – George Kaftan, Holy Cross
- 1948 – Alex Groza, Kentucky
- 1949 – Alex Groza, Kentucky
- 1950 – Irwin Dambrot, CCNY
- 1951 – Bill Spivey, Kentucky
- 1952 – Clyde Lovellette, Kansas
- 1953 – B. H. Born, Kansas*
- 1954 – Tom Gola, La Salle
- 1955 – Bill Russell, San Francisco
- 1956 – Hal Lear, Temple*
- 1957 – Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas*
- 1958 – Elgin Baylor, Seattle*
- 1959 – Jerry West, West Virginia*
- 1960 – Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
- 1961 – Jerry Lucas, Ohio State*
- 1962 – Paul Hogue, Cincinnati
- 1963 – Art Heyman, Duke*
- 1964 – Walt Hazzard, UCLA
- 1965 – Bill Bradley, Princeton*
- 1966 – Jerry Chambers, Utah*
- 1967 – Lew Alcindor, UCLA
- 1968 – Lew Alcindor, UCLA
- 1969 – Lew Alcindor, UCLA
- 1970 – Sidney Wicks, UCLA
- 1971 – Vacated†
- 1972 – Bill Walton, UCLA
- 1973 – Bill Walton, UCLA
- 1974 – David Thompson, NC State
- 1975 – Richard Washington, UCLA
- 1976 – Kent Benson, Indiana
- 1977 – Butch Lee, Marquette
- 1978 – Jack Givens, Kentucky
- 1979 – Earvin Johnson, Michigan State
- 1980 – Darrell Griffith, Louisville
- 1981 – Isiah Thomas, Indiana
- 1982 – James Worthy, North Carolina
- 1983 – Akeem Olajuwon, Houston*
- 1984 – Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
- 1985 – Ed Pinckney, Villanova
- 1986 – Pervis Ellison, Louisville
- 1987 – Keith Smart, Indiana
- 1988 – Danny Manning, Kansas
- 1989 – Glen Rice, Michigan
- 1990 – Anderson Hunt, UNLV
- 1991 – Christian Laettner, Duke
- 1992 – Bobby Hurley, Duke
- 1993 – Donald Williams, North Carolina
- 1994 – Corliss Williamson, Arkansas
- 1995 – Ed O'Bannon, UCLA
- 1996 – Tony Delk, Kentucky
- 1997 – Miles Simon, Arizona
- 1998 – Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky
- 1999 – Richard Hamilton, Connecticut
- 2000 – Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State
- 2001 – Shane Battier, Duke
- 2002 – Juan Dixon, Maryland
- 2003 – Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
- 2004 – Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
- 2005 – Sean May, North Carolina
- 2006 – Joakim Noah, Florida
- 2007 – Corey Brewer, Florida
- 2008 – Mario Chalmers, Kansas
- 2009 – Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
- 2010 – Kyle Singler, Duke
- 2011 – Kemba Walker, Connecticut
- 2012 – Anthony Davis, Kentucky
- 2013 – Luke Hancock, Louisville*[1]
- 2014 – Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
- 2015 – Tyus Jones, Duke
- 2016 – Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
- 2017 – Joel Berry II, North Carolina
- 2018 – Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova
- 2019 – Kyle Guy, Virginia
- 2020 – None±
†Originally awarded to Howard Porter from Villanova, who was not on the championship team; however, he was later ruled ineligible which resulted in the award being vacated
±The NCAA canceled all winter and spring championships due to the coronavirus pandemic
^ Louisville vacated their 2013 National Championship due to improper benefits. As part of a lawsuit settlement, Hancock - who was not involved in the scandal - had his Most Outstanding Player award restored.
NCAA Women's Division I MOP Award
- 1982 – Janice Lawrence, Louisiana Tech
- 1983 – Cheryl Miller, Southern California
- 1984 – Cheryl Miller, Southern California
- 1985 – Tracy Claxton, Old Dominion
- 1986 – Clarissa Davis, Texas
- 1987 – Tonya Edwards, Tennessee
- 1988 – Erica Westbrooks, Louisiana Tech
- 1989 – Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee
- 1990 – Jennifer Azzi, Stanford
- 1991 – Dawn Staley, Virginia*
- 1992 – Molly Goodenbour, Stanford
- 1993 – Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech
- 1994 – Charlotte Smith, North Carolina
- 1995 – Rebecca Lobo, Connecticut
- 1996 – Michelle Marciniak, Tennessee
- 1997 – Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
- 1998 – Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
- 1999 – Ukari Figgs, Purdue
- 2000 – Shea Ralph, Connecticut
- 2001 – Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
- 2002 – Swin Cash, Connecticut
- 2003 – Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
- 2004 – Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
- 2005 – Sophia Young, Baylor
- 2006 – Laura Harper, Maryland
- 2007 – Candace Parker, Tennessee
- 2008 – Candace Parker, Tennessee
- 2009 – Tina Charles, Connecticut
- 2010 – Maya Moore, Connecticut
- 2011 – Danielle Adams, Texas A&M
- 2012 – Brittney Griner, Baylor
- 2013 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
- 2014 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
- 2015 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
- 2016 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
- 2017 – A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
- 2018 – Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame
- 2019 – Chloe Jackson, Baylor
- 2020 – None±
±The NCAA canceled all winter and spring championships due to the coronavirus pandemic
External links
- Final Four - Most Outstanding Player from Basketball.com
- NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Players History from InsideHoops.com
- NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Players: Where Are They Now? from LostLettermen.com