# Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

The Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year was an annual award given to the Big Eight Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1956–57 season and concluded after the 1995–96 season (the Big Eight disbanded and was re-formed into the present day Big 12 Conference). From 1960 through 1967 no award was given out. Wayman Tisdale of Oklahoma and Danny Manning of Kansas are the only players to have received the award three times. Manning was also the consensus national player of the year in 1988. Four other players won the award twice, last performed by Doug Smith of Missouri (1990, 1991). Missouri also claimed the most winners with eight, followed by Oklahoma with seven.

## 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 Big Eight Player of the Year award at that point |

## Winners

| Season | Player | School | Position | Class | Reference |
| 1956–57 | Gary Thompson | Iowa State | G | Senior | |
| 1957–58 | Bob Boozer | Kansas State | F | Junior | |
| 1958–59 | Bob Boozer (2) | Kansas State | F | Senior | |
| 1959–67 | None selected | None selected | None selected | None selected | None selected |
| 1967–68 | Donald Smith | Iowa State | C / PF | Senior | |
| 1968–69 | Cliff Meely | Colorado | C | Sophomore | |
| 1969–70 | Dave Robisch | Kansas | C | Junior | |
| 1970–71 | Cliff Meely (2) | Colorado | C | Senior | |
| 1971–72 | Bud Stallworth | Kansas | SG | Senior | |
| 1972–73 | Lon Kruger | Kansas State | G | Junior | |
| 1973–74 | Lon Kruger (2) | Kansas State | G | Senior | |
| 1974–75 | Alvan Adams | Oklahoma | C | Junior | |
| 1975–76 | Willie Smith | Missouri | PG / SG | Senior | |
| 1976–77 | Kim Anderson | Missouri | SF | Senior | |
| 1977–78 | Mike Evans | Kansas State | SG / PG | Senior | |
| 1978–79 | John McCullough | Oklahoma | SG / SF | Senior | |
| 1979–80 | Rolando Blackman | Kansas State | SG | Junior | |
| 1980–81 | Andre Smith | Nebraska | C | Senior | |
| 1981–82 | Ricky Frazier | Missouri | SF | Senior | |
| 1982–83$^†$ | Steve Stipanovich | Missouri | C | Senior | |
| 1982–83$^†$ | Wayman Tisdale | Oklahoma | PF | Freshman | |
| 1983–84 | Wayman Tisdale (2) | Oklahoma | PF | Sophomore | |
| 1984–85 | Wayman Tisdale (3) | Oklahoma | PF | Junior | |
| 1985–86 | Danny Manning | Kansas | PF | Sophomore | |
| 1986–87 | Danny Manning (2) | Kansas | PF | Junior | |
| 1987–88 | Danny Manning* (3) | Kansas | PF | Senior | |
| 1988–89 | Stacey King | Oklahoma | C/F | Senior | |
| 1989–90 | Doug Smith | Missouri | F | Junior | |
| 1990–91$^†$ | Byron Houston | Oklahoma State | SF | Junior | |
| 1990–91$^†$ | Doug Smith (2) | Missouri | F | Senior | |
| 1991–92 | Anthony Peeler | Missouri | SG | Senior | |
| 1992–93 | Bryant Reeves | Oklahoma State | C | Sophomore | |
| 1993–94 | Melvin Booker | Missouri | PG | Senior | |
| 1994–95 | Ryan Minor | Oklahoma | F | Junior | |
| 1995–96 | Jacque Vaughn | Kansas | PG | Junior | |

## Winners by school

| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
| Missouri (1907) | 8 | 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983$^†$, 1990, 1991$^†$, 1992, 1994 |
| Oklahoma (1919) | 7 | 1975, 1979, 1983$^†$, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1995 |
| Kansas (1907) | 6 | 1970, 1972, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996 |
| Kansas State (1913) | 6 | 1958, 1959, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980 |
| Colorado (1947) | 2 | 1969, 1971 |
| Iowa State (1910) | 2 | 1957, 1968 |
| Oklahoma State (1958) | 2 | 1991$^†$, 1993 |
| Nebraska (1921) | 1 | 1981 |