NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player

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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 need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team. The last man to win the award despite not being on the Championship team was Akeem Olajuwon in 1983.

Although the men's tournament began in 1939, this award was not given officially until the following tournament in 1940. The MOP award for women has been awarded since the inception of the women's tournament in 1982.

Past winners of the NCAA Men's Division I MOP Award

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 -- (none selected)
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 (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), UCLA
1968 -- Lew Alcindor, UCLA
1969 -- Lew Alcindor, UCLA
1970 -- Sidney Wicks, UCLA
1971 -- (none) (Howard Porter, Villanova - later ruled ineligible)
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, UConn
2000 -- Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State
2001 -- Shane Battier, Duke
2002 -- Juan Dixon, Maryland
2003 -- Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
2004 -- Emeka Okafor, UConn
2005 -- Sean May, North Carolina
2006 -- Joakim Noah, Florida

Past winners of the NCAA Women's Division I MOP Award

1982 -- Janice Lawrence, Louisiana Tech
1983 -- Cheryl Miller, USC
1984 -- Cheryl Miller, USC
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, UConn
1996 -- Michelle Marciniak, Tennessee
1997 -- Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
1998 -- Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
1999 -- Ukari Figgs, Purdue
2000 -- Shea Ralph, UConn
2001 -- Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
2002 -- Swin Cash, UConn
2003 -- Diana Taurasi, UConn
2004 -- Diana Taurasi, UConn
2005 -- Sophia Young, Baylor
2006 -- Laura Harper, Maryland

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