Naismith College Player of the Year

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox sports award The Naismith College Player of the Year is "the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year," as chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors.<ref name=History>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is named in honor of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.<ref name=History/>

History and selection

First awarded exclusively to male players in 1969, the award was expanded to include female players in 1983.<ref name=History/> Annually before the college season begins in November, a "watchlist" consisting of 50 players is chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club board of selectors, comprising head coaches, administrators and media members from across the United States.<ref name=History/> By February, the list of nominees is narrowed down to 30 players based on performance.<ref name=History/> In March, four out of the 30 players are selected as finalists and are placed in the final ballot.<ref name=History/> The final winners are selected in April by both the board of selectors and fan voting via text messaging.<ref name=History/> The winners receive the Naismith Trophy.

Three award winners, two men and one woman, were born in United States territories:

• Alfred "Butch" Lee, who was born in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
• Tim Duncan and Aliyah Boston, both born in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The only award winners who have been born outside the jurisdiction of the United States were:

• Andrew Bogut, born in Melbourne, Australia.
• Patrick Ewing, born in Kingston, Jamaica.
• Buddy Hield, born in Freeport, Bahamas.
• Oscar Tshiebwe, born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Zach Edey, born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Six of these players were developed at least partially in the U.S. proper—Lee was raised in Harlem from early childhood; Ewing immigrated to the Boston area at age 12; Boston moved to Worcester, Massachusetts at the same age; Hield attended high school in suburban Wichita, Kansas; Tshiebwe attended high schools in southwestern Virginia and western Pennsylvania; and Edey spent his last two high school years in Florida. Duncan did not move to the U.S. proper until he arrived at Wake Forest University, and Bogut lived in Australia until his arrival at the University of Utah.

Through 2024–25, Duke has the most male winners with nine, while UConn has the most female winners, with eleven awards won by seven individuals. The award has been won by a freshman five times: Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007), Anthony Davis (Kentucky, 2012), Zion Williamson (Duke, 2019), Paige Bueckers (UConn, 2021), and Cooper Flagg (Duke, 2025).

Key

Player (X)

Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Naismith Player of the Year Award at that point

Winners

Men Season Player School Position Class Reference 1968–69 Template:SortnameTemplate:Ref label UCLA C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1969–70 Template:Sortname LSU PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1970–71 Template:Sortname Notre Dame SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1971–72 Template:Sortname UCLA C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1972–73 Template:Sortname (2) UCLA C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1973–74 Template:Sortname (3) UCLA C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1974–75 Template:Sortname Template:Cbb link SG / SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1975–76 Template:Sortname Indiana SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1976–77 Template:Sortname UCLA G / F Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1977–78 Template:Sortname Marquette PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1978–79 Template:Sortname Indiana State SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1979–80 Template:Sortname DePaul SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1980–81 Template:Sortname Virginia C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1981–82 Template:Sortname (2) Virginia C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1982–83 Template:Sortname (3) Virginia C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1983–84 Template:Sortname North Carolina SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1984–85 Template:Sortname Georgetown C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1985–86 Template:Sortname Duke PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1986–87 Template:Sortname Navy C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1987–88 Template:Sortname Kansas PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1988–89 Template:Sortname Duke PF / SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1989–90 Template:Sortname La Salle SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1990–91 Template:Sortname UNLV PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1991–92 Template:Sortname Duke PF / C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1992–93 Template:Sortname Indiana SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1993–94 Template:Sortname Purdue SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1994–95 Template:Sortname Maryland PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1995–96 Template:Sortname UMass C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1996–97 Template:Sortname Wake Forest C Template:Sort <ref name=DuncanStarbird>Template:Cite news</ref> 1997–98 Template:Sortname North Carolina SF Template:Sort <ref name=JamisonHoldsclaw>Template:Cite news</ref> 1998–99 Template:Sortname Duke C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1999–00 Template:Sortname Cincinnati F Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2000–01 Template:Sortname Duke PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2001–02 Template:Sortname Duke PG Template:Sort <ref name=WilliamsBird>Template:Cite news</ref> 2002–03 Template:Sortname Texas PG Template:Sort <ref name=FordTaurasi>Template:Cite news</ref> 2003–04 Template:Sortname Saint Joseph's PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2004–05 Template:Sortname Utah C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2005–06 Template:Sortname Duke SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2006–07 Template:Sortname Texas SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2007–08 Template:Sortname North Carolina PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2008–09 Template:Sortname Oklahoma PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2009–10 Template:Sortname Ohio State SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2010–11 Template:Sortname BYU PG / SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2011–12 Template:Sortname Kentucky C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2012–13 Template:Sortname Michigan PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2013–14 Template:Sortname Creighton SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2014–15 Template:Sortname Wisconsin PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2015–16 Template:Sortname Oklahoma SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2016–17 Template:Sortname Kansas PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2017–18 Template:Sortname Villanova PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2018–19 Template:Sortname Duke PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2019–20 Template:Sortname Dayton PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2020–21 Template:Sortname Iowa C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2021–22 Template:Sortname Kentucky C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2022–23 Template:Sortname Purdue PF / C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2023–24 Template:Sortname (2) Purdue C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2024–25 Template:Sortname Duke SG / SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Women Season Player School Position Class Reference 1968–69 No award 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 Template:Sortname Old Dominion C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1983–84 Template:Sortname USC SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1984–85 Template:Sortname (2) Template:Cbb link SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1985–86 Template:Sortname (3) USC SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1986–87 Template:Sortname Texas F Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1987–88 Template:Sortname Template:Cbb link F Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1988–89 Template:Sortname (2) Template:Cbb link F Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1989–90 Template:Sortname Stanford PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1990–91 Template:Sortname Virginia PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1991–92 Template:Sortname (2) Virginia PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1992–93 Template:Sortname Texas Tech SG / SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1993–94 Template:Sortname Template:Cbb link C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1994–95 Template:Sortname UConn C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1995–96 Template:Sortname Georgia G Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1996–97 Template:Sortname Stanford SG / SF Template:Sort <ref name=DuncanStarbird/> 1997–98 Template:Sortname Tennessee SF Template:Sort <ref name=JamisonHoldsclaw/> 1998–99 Template:Sortname (2) Template:Cbb link SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1999–00 Template:Sortname Tennessee SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2000–01 Template:Sortname Notre Dame C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2001–02 Template:Sortname UConn PG Template:Sort <ref name=WilliamsBird/> 2002–03 Template:Sortname UConn PG / SG Template:Sort <ref name=FordTaurasi/> 2003–04 Template:Sortname (2) UConn PG / SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2004–05 Template:Sortname LSU SG / SF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2005–06 Template:Sortname (2) LSU SG / SF Template:Sort citation CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2006–07 Template:Sortname Template:Cbb link PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2007–08 Template:Sortname Tennessee PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2008–09 Template:Sortname UConn PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2009–10 Template:Sortname UConn C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2010–11 Template:Sortname (2) UConn PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2011–12 Template:Sortname Baylor C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2012–13 Template:Sortname (2) Baylor C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2013–14 Template:Sortname UConn PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2014–15 Template:Sortname (2) UConn PF Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2015–16 Template:Sortname (3) UConn PF Template:Sort <ref name=sportsref/> 2016–17 Template:Sortname Washington PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2017–18 Template:Sortname South Carolina C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2018–19 Template:Sortname Iowa PF / C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2019–20 Template:Sortname Oregon PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2020–21 Template:Sortname UConn PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2021–22 Template:Sortname South Carolina PF / C Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2022–23 Template:Sortname Iowa PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2023–24 Template:Sortname (2) Iowa PG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2024–25 Template:Sortname USC SG Template:Sort <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• Template:Note label Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 after converting to Islam.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• List of U.S. men's college basketball national player of the year awards

External links

• Template:Official website