After the NCAA men's basketball championship each year, a group of credentialed media members votes on the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. While this award is typically given to a player on the championship team, it's meant to honor the player's entire March Madness run.
In the 2024 men's NCAA championship, UConn beat Purdue to take home their sixth title. UConn's Tristen Newton achieved MOP honors. Here's every winner of the Most Outstanding Player award in men's NCAA tournament history:
1939: Jimmy Hull, Ohio State (Sr.)
1940: Marv Huffman, Indiana (Sr.)
1941: John Kotz, Wisconsin (So.)
1942: Howie Dallmar, Stanford (So.)
1943: Kenny Sailors, Wyoming (Jr.)
1944: Arnie Ferrin, Utah (Fr.)
1945: Bob Kurland, Oklahoma St. (Jr.)
1946: Bob Kurland, Oklahoma St. (Sr.)
1947: George Kaftan, Holy Cross (So.)
1948: Alex Groza, Kentucky (Jr).
1949: Alex Groza, Kentucky (Sr.)
1950: Irwin Dambrot, CCNY (Sr.)
1951: Bill Spivey, Kentucky (Sr.)
1952: Clyde Lovellette, Kansas (Sr.)
1953: B.H. Born, Kansas (Jr.)
1954: Tom Gola, La Salle (Jr.)
1955: Bill Russell, San Francisco (Jr.)
1956: Hal Lear, Temple (Sr.)
1957: Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas (So.)
1958: Elgin Baylor, Seattle U. (Jr.)
1959: Jerry West, West Virginia (Jr.)
1960: Jerry Lucas, Ohio St. (So.)
1961: Jerry Lucas, Ohio St. (Jr.)
1962: Paul Hogue, Cincinnati (Sr.)
1963: Art Heyman, Duke (Sr.)
1964: Walt Hazzard, UCLA (Sr.)
1965: Bill Bradley, Princeton (Sr.)
1966: Jerry Chambers, Utah (Sr.)
1967: Lew Alcindor, UCLA (So.)
1968: Lew Alcindor, UCLA (Jr.)
1969: Lew Alcindor, UCLA (Sr.)
1970: Sidney Wicks, UCLA (Jr.)
1971: Howard Porter, Villanova (Sr.)
1972: Bill Walton, UCLA (So.)
1973: Bill Walton, UCLA (Jr.)
1974: David Thompson, NC State (Jr.)
1975: Richard Washington, UCLA (So.)
1976: Kent Benson, Indiana (Jr.)
1977: Butch Lee, Marquette (Jr.)
1978: Jack Givens, Kentucky (Sr.)
1979: Magic Johnson, Michigan St. (So.)
1980: Darrell Griffith, Louisville (Sr.)
1981: Isiah Thomas, Indiana (So.)
1982: James Worthy, North Carolina (Jr.)
1983: Akeem Olajuwon, Houston (So.)
1984: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown (Jr.)
1985: Ed Pinckney, Villanova (Sr.)
1986: Pervis Ellison, Louisville (Fr.)
1987: Keith Smart, Indiana (Jr.)
1988: Danny Manning, Kansas (Sr.)
1989: Glen Rice, Michigan (Sr.)
1990: Anderson Hunt, UNLV (So.)
1991: Christian Laettner, Duke (Jr.)
1992: Bobby Hurley, Duke (Jr.)
1993: Donald Williams, North Carolina (So.)
1994: Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (So.)
1995: Ed O'Bannon, UCLA (Sr.)
1996: Tony Delk, Kentucky (Sr.)
1997: Miles Simon, Arizona (Jr.)
1998: Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky (Sr.)
1999: Richard Hamilton, UConn (Jr.)
2000: Mateen Cleaves, Michigan St. (Sr.)
2001: Shane Battier, Duke (Sr.)
2002: Juan Dixon, Maryland (Sr.)
2003: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (Fr.)
2004: Emeka Okafor, UConn (Jr.)
2005: Sean May, North Carolina (Jr.)
2006: Joakim Noah, Florida (So.)
2007: Corey Brewer, Florida (Jr.)
2008: Mario Chalmers, Kansas (Jr.)
2009: Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (Jr.)
2010: Kyle Singler, Duke (Jr.)
2011: Kemba Walker, UConn (Jr.)
2012: Anthony Davis, Kentucky (Fr.)
2013: Luke Hancock, Louisville (Jr.)
2014: Shabazz Napier, UConn (Sr.)
2015: Tyus Jones, Duke (Fr.)
2016: Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova (Sr.)
2017: Joel Berry II, North Carolina (Jr.)
2018: Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova (So.)
2019: Kyle Guy, Virginia (Jr.)
2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
2021: Jared Butler, Baylor (Jr.)
2022: Ochai Agbaji, Kansas (Sr.)
2023: Adama Sanogo, UConn (Jr.)
2024: Tristen Newton, UConn (Sr.)
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