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Final Four 2026: Most Outstanding Player for NCAA tournament, year by year
The 2026 Final Four for the menβs NCAA tournament is set. Illinois faces UConn at 5:09 p.m. ET Saturday, April 4, followed by Michigan against Arizona at 7:49 p.m.
Come Monday night, there will be a new national champion. The NCAA also will crown a Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Hereβs a look at who has won the award every year of the tournament since 1939.
Year | Player | Class | School |
2025 | Walter Clayton Jr. | Senior | Florida |
2024 | Tristen Newton | Senior | UConn |
2023 | Adama Sanogo | Junior | UConn |
2022 | Ochai Agbaji | Senior | Kansas |
2021 | Jared Butler | Junior | Baylor |
2020 | No tournament because of pandemic | ||
2019 | Kyle Guy | Junior | Virginia |
2018 | Donte DiVincenzo | Junior | Villanova |
2017 | Joel Berry II | Junior | North Carolina |
2016 | Ryan Arcidiacono | Senior | Villanova |
2015 | Tyus Jones | Freshman | Duke |
2014 | Shabazz Napier | Senior | UConn |
2013 | Luke Hancock | Senior | Louisville |
2012 | Anthony Davis | Freshman | Kentucky |
2011 | Kemba Walker | Junior | UConn |
2010 | Kyler Singler | Junior | Duke |
2009 | Wayne Ellington | Junior | North Carolina |
2008 | Mario Chalmers | Junior | Kansas |
2007 | Corey Brewer | Junior | Florida |
2006 | Joakim Noah | Sophomore | Florida |
2005 | Sean May | Junior | North Carolina |
2004 | Emeka Okafor | Junior | UConn |
2003 | Carmelo Anthony | Freshman | Syracuse |
2002 | Juan Dixon | Senior | Maryland |
2001 | Shane Battier | Senior | Duke |
2000 | Mateen Cleaves | Senior | Michigan State |
1999 | Richard Hamilton | Junior | UConn |
1998 | Jeff Sheppard | Senior | Kentucky |
1997 | Miles Simon | Junior | Arizona |
1996 | Tony Delk | Senior | Kentucky |
1995 | Ed O'Bannon | Senior | UCLA |
1994 | Corliss Williamson | Junior | Arkansas |
1993 | Donald Williams | Sophomore | North Carolina |
1992 | Bobby Hurley | Junior | Duke |
1991 | Christian Laettner | Junior | Duke |
1990 | Anderson Hunt | Sophomore | UNLV |
1989 | Glen Rice | Senior | Michigan |
1988 | Danny Manning | Senior | Kansas |
1987 | Keith Smart | Junior | Indiana |
1986 | Pervis Ellison | Freshman | Louisville |
1985 | Ed Pinckney | Senior | Villanova |
1984 | Patrick Ewing | Junior | Georgetown |
1983 | Akeem Olajuwon | Sophomore | Houston |
1982 | James Worthy | Junior | North Carolina |
1981 | Isiah Thomas | Sophomore | Indiana |
1980 | Darrell Griffith | Senior | Louisville |
1979 | Magic Johnson | Sophomore | Michigan State |
1978 | Jack Givens | Senior | Kentucky |
1977 | Butch Lee | Junior | Marquette |
1976 | Kent Benson | Junior | Indiana |
1975 | Richard Washington | Sophomore | UCLA |
1974 | David Thompson | Sophomore | NC State |
1973 | Bill Walton | Junior | UCLA |
1972 | Bill Walton | N/A | UCLA |
1971 | Vacated | N/A | N/A |
1970 | Sidney Wicks | N/A | UCLA |
1969 | Lew Alcindor | N/A | UCLA |
1968 | Lew Alcindor | N/A | UCLA |
1967 | Lew Alcindor | N/A | UCLA |
1966 | Jerry Chambers | N/A | Utah |
1965 | Bill Bradley | N/A | Princeton |
1964 | Walt Hazzard | N/A | UCLA |
1963 | Art Heyman | N/A | Duke |
1962 | Paul Hogue | N/A | Cincinnati |
1961 | Jerry Lucas | N/A | Ohio State |
1960 | Jerry Lucas | N/A | Ohio State |
1959 | Jerry West | N/A | West Virginia |
1958 | Elgin Baylor | N/A | Seattle |
1957 | Wilt Chamberlain | N/A | Kansas |
1956 | Hal Lear | N/A | Temple |
1955 | Bill Russell | N/A | San Francisco |
1954 | Tom Gola | N/A | La Salle |
1953 | B.H. Born | N/A | Kansas |
1952 | Clyde Lovellette | N/A | Kansas |
1951 | Bill Spivey | N/A | Kentucky |
1950 | Irwin Dambrot | N/A | CCNY |
1949 | Alex Groza | N/A | Kentucky |
1948 | Alex Groza | N/A | Kentucky |
1947 | George Kaftan | N/A | Holy Cross |
1946 | Bob Kurland | N/A | Oklahoma A&M |
1945 | Bob Kurland | N/A | Oklahoma A&M |
1944 | Arnie Ferrin | N/A | Utah |
1943 | Ken Sailors | N/A | Wyoming |
1942 | Howie Dallmar | N/A | Stanford |
1941 | John Kotz | N/A | Wisconsin |
1940 | Marvin Huffman | N/A | Indiana |
1939 | Jimmy Hull | N/A | Ohio State |
