The Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year award, established in 1961, honors the best men's college basketball player each year, chosen by the Associated Press (AP). Since 1967, the AP has recognized the top player with the AP Player of the Year Award. Ralph Sampson from Virginia is the only player to win three times (1981-83), while four others have achieved the honor twice (most recently in 1975). Duke leads with the most winners (seven), followed by UCLA (five) and Ohio State (four). This prestigious award acknowledges the most outstanding NCAA men's basketball players across all levels of competition in the United States. Zach Edey from Purdue is the most recent recipient.
List of Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Winner
The Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year list features remarkable players who have left their mark on the sport. Ralph Sampson from Virginia stands out as the only three-time winner. Other notable two-time winners include Lew Alcindor, Jerry Lucas, David Thompson, and Bill Walton. Jerry Lucas claimed the first two awards in 1960 and 1961, while David Thompson secured the honor in 1974 and 1975. When he received the award, Larry Bird led Indiana State to an undefeated regular season in 1979. Sean Elliott was honored in 1989, and Kevin Durant made history in 2007 as the first freshman recipient. In 2020, Obi Toppin became Dayton’s first player to win the prestigious award, adding to the legacy of college basketball excellence.
Here is the listed table for Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Winner:
| Year | Player | School |
| 1961 | Jerry Lucas | Ohio State |
| 1962 | Jerry Lucas (2) | Ohio State (2) |
| 1963 | Art Heyman | Duke |
| 1964 | Gary Bradds | Ohio State (3) |
| 1965 | Bill Bradley | Princeton |
| 1966 | Cazzie Russell | Michigan |
| 1967 | Lew Alcindor | UCLA |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes | Houston |
| 1969 | Lew Alcindor (2) | UCLA (2) |
| 1970 | Pete Maravich | LSU |
| 1971 | Austin Carr | Notre Dame |
| 1972 | Bill Walton | UCLA (3) |
| 1973 | Bill Walton (2) | UCLA (4) |
| 1974 | David Thompson | NC State |
| 1975 | David Thompson (2) | NC State (2) |
| 1976 | Scott May | Indiana |
| 1977 | Marques Johnson | UCLA (5) |
| 1978 | Butch Lee | Marquette |
| 1979 | Larry Bird | Indiana State |
| 1980 | Mark Aguirre | DePaul |
| 1981 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia |
| 1982 | Ralph Sampson (2) | Virginia (2) |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson (3) | Virginia (3) |
| 1984 | Michael Jordan | North Carolina |
| 1985 | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown |
| 1986 | Walter Berry | St. John’s |
| 1987 | David Robinson | Navy |
| 1988 | Hersey Hawkins | Bradley |
| 1989 | Sean Elliott | Arizona |
| 1990 | Lionel Simmons | La Salle |
| 1991 | Shaquille O’Neal | LSU (2) |
| 1992 | Christian Laettner | Duke (2) |
| 1993 | Calbert Cheaney | Indiana (2) |
| 1994 | Glenn Robinson | Purdue |
| 1995 | Joe Smith | Maryland |
| 1996 | Marcus Camby | UMass |
| 1997 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest |
| 1998 | Antawn Jamison | North Carolina (2) |
| 1999 | Elton Brand | Duke (3) |
| 2000 | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati |
| 2001 | Shane Battier | Duke (4) |
| 2002 | Jay Williams | Duke (5) |
| 2003 | David West | Xavier |
| 2004 | Jameer Nelson | Saint Joseph’s |
| 2005 | Andrew Bogut | Utah |
| 2006 | JJ Redick | Duke (6) |
| 2007 | Kevin Durant | Texas |
| 2008 | Tyler Hansbrough | North Carolina (3) |
| 2009 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma |
| 2010 | Evan Turner | Ohio State (4) |
| 2011 | Jimmer Fredette | BYU |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky |
| 2013 | Trey Burke | Michigan (2) |
| 2014 | Doug McDermott | Creighton |
| 2015 | Frank Kaminsky | Wisconsin |
| 2016 | Denzel Valentine | Michigan State |
| 2017 | Frank Mason III | Kansas |
| 2018 | Jalen Brunson | Villanova |
| 2019 | Zion Williamson | Duke (7) |
| 2020 | Obi Toppin | Dayton |
| 2021 | Luka Garza | Iowa |
| 2022 | Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky (2) |
| 2023 | Zach Edey | Purdue |
FAQ's On Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Winner List
A. Four players have achieved the honor twice, with Lew Alcindor, Jerry Lucas, David Thompson, and Bill Walton.
A. Jerry Lucas from Ohio State secured the first two awards in 1960 and 1961.
A. Duke leads with seven winners, followed by UCLA with five and Ohio State with four.
A. Kevin Durant made history in 2007 as the first freshman recipient.
A. When awarded the AP Player of the Year, Larry Bird led Indiana State to an undefeated regular season in 1979.
