# NCAA Division I basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player

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, ten men and one woman have won it as players on the losing squad. On the men's side, Houston's Akeem Olajuwon was the last to do so in 1983, while Virginia's Dawn Staley was the only woman to do so in 1991.
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: 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 championship game |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the MOP at that point |
| Italics | Award officially vacated by NCAA |

## Winners

Men :
| Year | Tournament | Player | School | Position | Class | Reference |
| 1938–39 | 1939 | Jimmy Hull | Ohio State$^#$ | F | Senior | |
| 1939–40 | 1940 | Marv Huffman | Indiana | F | Senior | |
| 1940–41 | 1941 | John Kotz | Wisconsin | F | Senior | |
| 1941–42 | 1942 | Howie Dallmar | Stanford | F | Sophomore | |
| 1942–43 | 1943 | Ken Sailors | Wyoming | PG | Junior | |
| 1943–44 | 1944 | Arnie Ferrin | Utah | SF / SG | Freshman | |
| 1944–45 | 1945 | Bob Kurland | Oklahoma State | C | Junior | |
| 1945–46 | 1946 | Bob Kurland* (2) | Oklahoma State | C | Senior | |
| 1946–47 | 1947 | George Kaftan | Holy Cross | SF | Sophomore | |
| 1947–48 | 1948 | Alex Groza | Kentucky | C | Junior | |
| 1948–49 | 1949 | Alex Groza (2) | Kentucky | C | Senior | |
| 1949–50 | 1950 | Irwin Dambrot | CCNY | F | Senior | |
| 1950–51 | 1951 | No winner selected | No winner selected | No winner selected | No winner selected | No winner selected |
| 1951–52 | 1952 | Clyde Lovellette* | Kansas | C | Senior | |
| 1952–53 | 1953 | B. H. Born | Kansas$^#$ | C | Junior | |
| 1953–54 | 1954 | Tom Gola* | La Salle | SF | Junior | |
| 1954–55 | 1955 | Bill Russell* | San Francisco | C | Junior | |
| 1955–56 | 1956 | Hal Lear | Temple$^#$ | PG | Senior | |
| 1956–57 | 1957 | Wilt Chamberlain | Kansas$^#$ | C | Sophomore | |
| 1957–58 | 1958 | Elgin Baylor* | Seattle$^#$ | SF | Junior | |
| 1958–59 | 1959 | Jerry West | West Virginia$^#$ | PG | Junior | |
| 1959–60 | 1960 | Jerry Lucas | Ohio State | PF | Sophomore | |
| 1960–61 | 1961 | Jerry Lucas* (2) | Ohio State$^#$ | PF | Junior | |
| 1961–62 | 1962 | Paul Hogue* | Cincinnati | C | Senior | |
| 1962–63 | 1963 | Art Heyman* | Duke$^#$ | SF / SG | Senior | |
| 1963–64 | 1964 | Walt Hazzard* | UCLA | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 1964–65 | 1965 | Bill Bradley* | Princeton$^#$ | SF | Senior | |
| 1965–66 | 1966 | Jerry Chambers | Utah$^#$ | SF | Senior | |
| 1966–67 | 1967 | Lew Alcindor* | UCLA | C | Sophomore | |
| 1967–68 | 1968 | Lew Alcindor* (2) | UCLA | C | Junior | |
| 1968–69 | 1969 | Lew Alcindor* (3) | UCLA | C | Senior | |
| 1969–70 | 1970 | Sidney Wicks* | UCLA | PF | Junior | |
| 1970–71 | 1971 | Howard Porter | Villanova$^#$ | PF / SF | Senior | |
| 1971–72 | 1972 | Bill Walton* | UCLA | C | Sophomore | |
| 1972–73 | 1973 | Bill Walton* (2) | UCLA | C | Junior | |
| 1973–74 | 1974 | David Thompson | NC State | SG | Junior | |
| 1974–75 | 1975 | Richard Washington | UCLA | PF / C | Sophomore | |
| 1975–76 | 1976 | Kent Benson* | Indiana | C | Junior | |
| 1976–77 | 1977 | Butch Lee | Marquette | PG | Junior | |
| 1977–78 | 1978 | Jack Givens* | Kentucky | SG / SF | Senior | |
| 1978–79 | 1979 | Magic Johnson | Michigan State | PG | Sophomore | |
| 1979–80 | 1980 | Darrell Griffith* | Louisville | SG | Senior | |
| 1980–81 | 1981 | Isiah Thomas | Indiana | PG | Sophomore | |
| 1981–82 | 1982 | James Worthy | North Carolina | SF | Junior | |
| 1982–83 | 1983 | Akeem Olajuwon* | Houston$^#$ | C | Sophomore | |
| 1983–84 | 1984 | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown | C | Junior | |
| 1984–85 | 1985 | Ed Pinckney | Villanova | SF / PF | Senior | |
| 1985–86 | 1986 | Pervis Ellison | Louisville | C | Freshman | |
| 1986–87 | 1987 | Keith Smart | Indiana | PG | Junior | |
| 1987–88 | 1988 | Danny Manning* | Kansas | PF | Senior | |
| 1988–89 | 1989 | Glen Rice | Michigan | SF | Senior | |
| 1989–90 | 1990 | Anderson Hunt | UNLV | SG | Sophomore | |
| 1990–91 | 1991 | Christian Laettner | Duke | PF / C | Junior | |
| 1991–92 | 1992 | Bobby Hurley | Duke | PG | Junior | |
| 1992–93 | 1993 | Donald Williams | North Carolina | PG / SG | Sophomore | |
| 1993–94 | 1994 | Corliss Williamson | Arkansas | PF | Sophomore | |
| 1994–95 | 1995 | Ed O'Bannon* | UCLA | PF | Senior | |
| 1995–96 | 1996 | Tony Delk | Kentucky | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 1996–97 | 1997 | Miles Simon | Arizona | SG | Junior | |
| 1997–98 | 1998 | Jeff Sheppard | Kentucky | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 1998–99 | 1999 | Richard Hamilton | UConn | SG | Junior | |
| 1999–00 | 2000 | Mateen Cleaves | Michigan State | PG | Senior | |
| 2000–01 | 2001 | Shane Battier* | Duke | SF | Senior | |
| 2001–02 | 2002 | Juan Dixon | Maryland | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 2002–03 | 2003 | Carmelo Anthony | Syracuse | SF / PF | Freshman | |
| 2003–04 | 2004 | Emeka Okafor* | UConn | C | Junior | |
| 2004–05 | 2005 | Sean May | North Carolina | PF | Junior | |
| 2005–06 | 2006 | Joakim Noah | Florida | C | Sophomore | |
| 2006–07 | 2007 | Corey Brewer | Florida | SF | Junior | |
| 2007–08 | 2008 | Mario Chalmers | Kansas | PG | Junior | |
| 2008–09 | 2009 | Wayne Ellington | North Carolina | SG | Junior | |
| 2009–10 | 2010 | Kyle Singler | Duke | SF | Junior | |
| 2010–11 | 2011 | Kemba Walker | UConn | PG | Junior | |
| 2011–12 | 2012 | Anthony Davis* | Kentucky | C | Freshman | |
| 2012–13 | 2013 | Luke Hancock | Louisville | SF | Junior | |
| 2013–14 | 2014 | Shabazz Napier | UConn | PG | Senior | |
| 2014–15 | 2015 | Tyus Jones | Duke | PG | Freshman | |
| 2015–16 | 2016 | Ryan Arcidiacono | Villanova | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 2016–17 | 2017 | Joel Berry II | North Carolina | PG | Junior | |
| 2017–18 | 2018 | Donte DiVincenzo | Villanova | SG | Sophomore | |
| 2018–19 | 2019 | Kyle Guy | Virginia | SG | Junior | |
| 2019–20 | 2020 | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 2021 | Jared Butler | Baylor | PG | Junior | |
| 2021–22 | 2022 | Ochai Agbaji | Kansas | SG | Senior | |
| 2022–23 | 2023 | Adama Sanogo | UConn | PF | Junior | |
| 2023–24 | 2024 | Tristen Newton | UConn | PG / SG | Senior | |
Women :
| Year | Tournament | Player | School | Position | Class | Reference |
| 1938–39 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1939–40 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1940–41 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1941–42 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1942–43 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1943–44 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1944–45 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1945–46 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1946–47 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1947–48 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1948–49 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1949–50 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1950–51 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1951–52 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1952–53 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1953–54 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1954–55 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1955–56 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1956–57 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1957–58 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1958–59 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1959–60 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1960–61 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1961–62 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1962–63 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1963–64 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1964–65 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1965–66 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1966–67 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1967–68 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1968–69 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1969–70 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1970–71 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1971–72 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1972–73 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1973–74 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1974–75 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1975–76 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1976–77 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1977–78 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1978–79 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1979–80 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1980–81 | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament | No NCAA tournament |
| 1981–82 | 1982 | Janice Lawrence | Louisiana Tech | F | Sophomore | |
| 1982–83 | 1983 | Cheryl Miller | USC | SF | Freshman | |
| 1983–84 | 1984 | Cheryl Miller* (2) | USC | SF | Sophomore | |
| 1984–85 | 1985 | Tracy Claxton | Old Dominion | F | Senior | |
| 1985–86 | 1986 | Clarissa Davis | Texas | F | Freshman | |
| 1986–87 | 1987 | Tonya Edwards | Tennessee | G | Freshman | |
| 1987–88 | 1988 | Erica Westbrooks | Louisiana Tech | F | Senior | |
| 1988–89 | 1989 | Bridgette Gordon | Tennessee | F | Senior | |
| 1989–90 | 1990 | Jennifer Azzi* | Stanford | PG | Senior | |
| 1990–91 | 1991 | Dawn Staley* | Virginia$^#$ | PG | Junior | |
| 1991–92 | 1992 | Molly Goodenbour | Stanford | G | Junior | |
| 1992–93 | 1993 | Sheryl Swoopes* | Texas Tech | SG / SF | Senior | |
| 1993–94 | 1994 | Charlotte Smith | North Carolina | F | Junior | |
| 1994–95 | 1995 | Rebecca Lobo* | UConn | C | Senior | |
| 1995–96 | 1996 | Michelle Marciniak | Tennessee | PG | Senior | |
| 1996–97 | 1997 | Chamique Holdsclaw | Tennessee | SF | Sophomore | |
| 1997–98 | 1998 | Chamique Holdsclaw* (2) | Tennessee | SF | Junior | |
| 1998–99 | 1999 | Ukari Figgs | Purdue | G | Senior | |
| 1999–00 | 2000 | Shea Ralph | UConn | PG | Junior | |
| 2000–01 | 2001 | Ruth Riley* | Notre Dame | PF / C | Senior | |
| 2001–02 | 2002 | Swin Cash | UConn | SF | Senior | |
| 2002–03 | 2003 | Diana Taurasi* | UConn | PG / SG | Junior | |
| 2003–04 | 2004 | Diana Taurasi* (2) | UConn | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 2004–05 | 2005 | Sophia Young | Baylor | SF | Junior | |
| 2005–06 | 2006 | Laura Harper | Maryland | PF / C | Sophomore | |
| 2006–07 | 2007 | Candace Parker* | Tennessee | PF | Junior | |
| 2007–08 | 2008 | Candace Parker* (2) | Tennessee | PF | Senior | |
| 2008–09 | 2009 | Tina Charles | UConn | C | Junior | |
| 2009–10 | 2010 | Maya Moore* | UConn | PF | Junior | |
| 2010–11 | 2011 | Danielle Adams | Texas A&M | PF / C | Senior | |
| 2011–12 | 2012 | Brittney Griner* | Baylor | C | Junior | |
| 2012–13 | 2013 | Breanna Stewart | UConn | PF | Freshman | |
| 2013–14 | 2014 | Breanna Stewart* (2) | UConn | PF | Sophomore | |
| 2014–15 | 2015 | Breanna Stewart* (3) | UConn | PF | Junior | |
| 2015–16 | 2016 | Breanna Stewart* (4) | UConn | PF | Senior | |
| 2016–17 | 2017 | A'ja Wilson | South Carolina | C | Junior | |
| 2017–18 | 2018 | Arike Ogunbowale | Notre Dame | PG | Junior | |
| 2018–19 | 2019 | Chloe Jackson | Baylor | G | Senior | |
| 2019–20 | 2020 | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 2021 | Haley Jones | Stanford | SG | Sophomore | |
| 2021–22 | 2022 | Aliyah Boston* | South Carolina | PF / C | Junior | |
| 2022–23 | 2023 | Angel Reese | LSU | PF | Junior | |
| 2023–24 | 2024 | Kamilla Cardoso | South Carolina | C | Senior | |
* $^a$ Olajuwon later changed his first name's spelling from Akeem to Hakeem to use the original Arabic spelling.
* $^b$ Despite what some NCAA publications have printed many years later—that Kentucky's Bill Spivey won the 1951 award—no official vote occurred after the game and no player was officially presented as the winner. A news article printed by the Lexington Herald-Leader on April 7, 1951, titled "What Happened To NCAA's MVP Award?" detailed this mysterious divergence of precedent. Reporter Ed Ashford wrote, "For 11 consecutive years a most valuable player was chosen after the NCAA basketball tournament. However this year, for some unexplained reason, no poll was taken and there was no MVP honored. Whether the authorities just forgot about it or decided to eliminate balloting for the honor is not known. If a poll had been taken, it is likely that Kentucky would have garnered its third MVP award in the last four years. Alex Groza won the honor in 1948 and 1949 while Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville would have been strong contenders for the award this year."
* $^c$ Lew Alcindor later changed his named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
* $^d$ 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.
* $^e$ Okafor graduated as a finance major in only three years. He was a senior academically in 2003–04, but was still considered a junior as it related to his athletic eligibility.
* $^f$ 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.