# Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

    Historical records of this award have been spotty, and the following is a compiled list of the verified SWAC Players of the Year.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual award given to the Southwestern Athletic Conference's (SWAC) most outstanding player.

## Key

| † | Co-Players of the Year |
| * | Awarded a national player of the year award: Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year (1904–05 to 1978–79) UPI College Basketball Player of the Year (1954–55 to 1995–96) Naismith College Player of the Year (1968–69 to present) John R. Wooden Award (1976–77 to present) |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the SWAC Player of the Year award at that point |

## Winners

| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
| 1972–73 | Nathaniel Archibald | Alcorn State | C | Junior |
| 1973–74 | Gene Short | Jackson State | SF | Junior |
| 1974–75 | Gene Short (2) | Jackson State | SF | Senior |
| 1975–76 | Larry Wright | Grambling State | PG | Junior |
| 1976–77 | Purvis Short | Jackson State | SF | Junior |
| 1977–78 | Purvis Short (2) | Jackson State | SF | Senior |
| 1978–79 | Larry Smith | Alcorn State | PF / C | Junior |
| 1979–80 | Larry Smith (2) | Alcorn State | PF / C | Senior |
| 1980–81$^†$ | Harry Kelly | Texas Southern | SF | Sophomore |
| 1980–81$^†$ | Robert Williams | Grambling State | PF | Senior |
| 1981–82 | Harry Kelly (2) | Texas Southern | SF | Junior |
| 1982–83 | Harry Kelly (3) | Texas Southern | SF | Senior |
| 1983–84 | Lewis Jackson | Alabama State | SF | Senior |
| 1984–85 | Mike Phelps | Alcorn State | PG | Senior |
| 1985–86 | Frank Sillmon | Alabama State | SF | Sophomore |
| 1986–87$^†$ | George Ivory | Mississippi Valley State | PG | Senior |
| 1986–87$^†$ | Avery Johnson | Southern | PG | Junior |
| 1987–88 | Avery Johnson (2) | Southern | PG | Senior |
| 1988–89 | Terry Brooks | Alabama State | G | Senior |
| 1989–90 | Joe Faulkner | Southern | PF | Senior |
| 1990–91 | Steve Rogers | Alabama State | SG | Junior |
| 1991–92 | Steve Rogers (2) | Alabama State | SG | Senior |
| 1992–93 | Lindsey Hunter | Jackson State | PG | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Jervaughn Scales | Southern | PF | Senior |
| 1994–95 | Kenny Sykes | Grambling State | SG | Senior |
| 1995–96 | Marcus Mann | Mississippi Valley State | PF | Senior |
| 1996–97 | Randy Bolden | Texas Southern | PG | Junior |
| 1997–98 | Randy Bolden (2) | Texas Southern | PG | Senior |
| 1998–99 | Adarrial Smylie | Southern | C | Junior |
| 1999–00 | Adarrial Smylie (2) | Southern | C | Senior |
| 2000–01 | Dewayne Jefferson | Mississippi Valley State | SG | Sophomore |
| 2001–02 | Paul Haynes | Grambling State | PF / C | Sophomore |
| 2002–03 | Gregory Burks | Prairie View A&M | PG | Senior |
| 2003–04 | Attarius Norwood | Mississippi Valley State | F | Senior |
| 2004–05 | Obie Trotter | Alabama A&M | PG / SG | Junior |
| 2005–06 | Brion Rush | Grambling State | PG | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Trey Johnson | Jackson State | SG | Senior |
| 2007–08 | Andrew Hayles | Alabama State | SG | Junior |
| 2008–09 | Brandon Brooks | Alabama State | PG | Senior |
| 2009–10 | Garrison Johnson | Jackson State | SG | Senior |
| 2010–11 | Travele Jones | Texas Southern | PF | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Paul Crosby | Mississippi Valley State | C | Senior |
| 2012–13 | Omar Strong | Texas Southern | PG | Senior |
| 2013–14 | Aaric Murray | Texas Southern | C | Senior |
| 2014–15 | Madarious Gibbs | Texas Southern | PG | Senior |
| 2015–16 | Derrick Griffin | Texas Southern | C | Freshman |
| 2016–17 | Zach Lofton | Texas Southern | SG | Junior |
| 2017–18 | Martaveous McKnight | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | PG | Junior |
| 2018–19 | Jeremy Combs | Texas Southern | PF | Senior |
| 2019–20 | Devonte Patterson | Prairie View A&M | PF | Senior |
| 2020–21 | Tristan Jarrett | Jackson State | SG | Senior |
| 2021–22 | M. J. Randolph | Florida A&M | PG | Senior |
| 2022–23 | Cameron Christon | Grambling State | SG | Graduate |
| 2023–24 | Ken Evans Jr. | Jackson State | SG / PG | Junior |
| 2024–25 | Sterling Young | Florida A&M | SG | Senior |

## Winners by school

| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
| Texas Southern (1954) | 12 | 1981$^†$, 1982, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 |
| Jackson State (1958) | 9 | 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1993, 2007, 2010, 2021, 2024 |
| Alabama State (1982) | 7 | 1984, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2008, 2009 |
| Grambling State (1958) | 6 | 1976, 1981$^†$, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2023 |
| Southern (1934) | 6 | 1987$^†$, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2000 |
| Mississippi Valley State (1968) | 5 | 1987$^†$, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2012 |
| Alcorn State (1962) | 4 | 1973, 1979, 1980, 1985 |
| Florida A&M (2021) | 2 | 2022, 2025 |
| Prairie View A&M (1920) | 2 | 2003, 2020 |
| Alabama A&M (1999) | 1 | 2005 |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff (1936) | 1 | 2018 |
| Bethune–Cookman (2021) | 0 | — |

## Footnotes

* $^a$ Please see the talk page for an e-mail correspondence with Tom Galbraith, who at the time of the exchanges was the SWAC men's basketball contact.
* $^b$ The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff was a conference member from 1936 to 1970, left, but then re-joined in 1998.