Global InformationNCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player information
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2024) |
| Awarded for | The MVP of the NCAA Division I men's and women's national basketball tournaments |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| History | |
| First award | 1939 (men) 1982 (women) |
| Most recent | Tristen Newton, UConn (men) Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina (women) |
The Most Outstanding Player is awarded to one player after the conclusion of the championship game of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. Accredited media members at the championship game vote on the award.
The player that wins the award is usually a member of the championship team. Ten men and one woman have won the award despite not winning the championship. The last man to do so was Akeem Olajuwon in 1983 and Dawn Staley was the only woman to do so when she won the award in 1991.
Six men and five women have won the award multiple times. Lew Alcindor won the men’s award three times from 1967 to 1969 and Breanna Stewart won the women’s award four times from 2013 to 2016.
One person has vacated the award. In 1971, Howard Porter won the award despite Villanova losing to UCLA in the championship game. Villanova later vacated their entire season. One other person, Luke Hancock, had his MOP award vacated when the NCAA vacated Louisville's 2013 national championship, but the NCAA later restored to the award as part of a settlement in a lawsuit with him due to him not being involved in the scandal.
In 1944, Arnie Ferrin of Utah was the first freshman to win the award.[1]
- ^ Facer, Dirk (February 9, 2012). "Utah's Arnie Ferrin to be inducted into Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor". Deseret News. Retrieved December 28, 2022.