Player of the Year
Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Winners, 1969–2026
Established in 1969, the Naismith Trophy honors the most outstanding player in men’s college basketball. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was its first recipient.
| Year | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cameron Boozer | Duke |
| 2025 | Cooper Flagg | Duke |
| 2024 | Zach Edey | Purdue |
| 2023 | Zach Edey | Purdue |
| 2022 | Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky |
| 2021 | Luka Garza | Iowa |
| 2020 | Obi Toppin | Dayton |
| 2019 | Zion Williamson | Duke |
| 2018 | Jalen Brunson | Villanova |
| 2017 | Frank Mason III | Kansas |
| 2016 | Buddy Hield | Oklahoma |
| 2015 | Frank Kaminsky III | Wisconsin |
| 2014 | Doug McDermott | Creighton |
| 2013 | Trey Burke | Michigan |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky |
| 2011 | Jimmer Fredette | BYU |
| 2010 | Evan Turner | Ohio State |
| 2009 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma |
| 2008 | Tyler Hansbrough | North Carolina |
| 2007 | Kevin Durant | Texas |
| 2006 | J.J. Redick | Duke |
| 2005 | Andrew Bogut | Utah |
| 2004 | Jameer Nelson | Saint Joseph’s |
| 2003 | T.J. Ford | Texas |
| 2002 | Jay Williams | Duke |
| 2001 | Shane Battier | Duke |
| 2000 | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati |
| 1999 | Elton Brand | Duke |
| 1998 | Antawn Jamison | North Carolina |
| 1997 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest |
| 1996 | Marcus Camby | UMass |
| 1995 | Joe Smith | Maryland |
| 1994 | Glenn Robinson | Purdue |
| 1993 | Calbert Cheaney | Indiana |
| 1992 | Christian Laettner | Duke |
| 1991 | Larry Johnson | UNLV |
| 1990 | Lionel Simmons | La Salle |
| 1989 | Danny Ferry | Duke |
| 1988 | Danny Manning | Kansas |
| 1987 | David Robinson | Navy |
| 1986 | Johnny Dawkins | Duke |
| 1985 | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown |
| 1984 | Michael Jordan | North Carolina |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia |
| 1982 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia |
| 1981 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia |
| 1980 | Mark Aguirre | DePaul |
| 1979 | Larry Bird | Indiana State |
| 1978 | Butch Lee | Marquette |
| 1977 | Marques Johnson | UCLA |
| 1976 | Scott May | Indiana |
| 1975 | David Thompson | NC State |
| 1974 | Bill Walton | UCLA |
| 1973 | Bill Walton | UCLA |
| 1972 | Bill Walton | UCLA |
| 1971 | Austin Carr | Notre Dame |
| 1970 | Pete Maravich | LSU |
| 1969 | Lew Alcindor | UCLA |
Historical milestones
- First winner: Lew Alcindor, UCLA, 1969.
- Three-time winners: Bill Walton, UCLA (1972–1974), and Ralph Sampson, Virginia (1981–1983).
- Two-time winner: Zach Edey, Purdue (2023–2024).
- Most winners by school: Duke leads with 10 men’s Naismith Trophy recipients through 2026.
The AP, USBWA/Oscar Robertson and Wooden awards are separate national player of the year honors with their own histories and winner lists.