The Naismith College Player of the Year is "the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year," as chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors. It is named in honor of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
| Awarded for | the most outstanding male and female basketball players in NCAA Division I |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Atlanta Tipoff Club |
| History | |
| First award | 1969 (men) 1983 (women) |
| Most recent | Cooper Flagg, Duke (men) JuJu Watkins, USC (women) |
| Website | Official website |
History and selection
First awarded exclusively to male players in 1969, the award was expanded to include female players in 1983. Annually before the college season begins in November, a "watchlist" consisting of 50 players is chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club board of selectors, comprising head coaches, administrators and media members from across the United States. By February, the list of nominees is narrowed down to 30 players based on performance. In March, four out of the 30 players are selected as finalists and are placed in the final ballot. The final winners are selected in April by both the board of selectors and fan voting via text messaging. The winners receive the Naismith Trophy.
Three award winners, two men and one woman, were born in United States territories:
- Alfred "Butch" Lee, who was born in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
- Tim Duncan and Aliyah Boston, both born in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The only award winners who have been born outside the jurisdiction of the United States were:
- Andrew Bogut, born in Melbourne, Australia.
- Patrick Ewing, born in Kingston, Jamaica.
- Buddy Hield, born in Freeport, Bahamas.
- Oscar Tshiebwe, born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Zach Edey, born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Six of these players were developed at least partially in the U.S. proper—Lee was raised in Harlem from early childhood; Ewing immigrated to the Boston area at age 12; Boston moved to Worcester, Massachusetts at the same age; Hield attended high school in suburban Wichita, Kansas; Tshiebwe attended high schools in southwestern Virginia and western Pennsylvania; and Edey spent his last two high school years in Florida. Duncan did not move to the U.S. proper until he arrived at Wake Forest University, and Bogut lived in Australia until his arrival at the University of Utah.
Through 2024–25, Duke has the most male winners with nine, while UConn has the most female winners, with eleven awards won by seven individuals. The award has been won by a freshman five times: Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007), Anthony Davis (Kentucky, 2012), Zion Williamson (Duke, 2019), Paige Bueckers (UConn, 2021), and Cooper Flagg (Duke, 2025).
Key
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Naismith Player of the Year Award at that point |
Winners
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- a Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 after converting to Islam.
See also
- List of U.S. men's college basketball national player of the year awards
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