The NABC Player of the Year is an esteemed annual award presented by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in the United States. Established in the 1974–75 season, this accolade recognizes the most outstanding men's college basketball players across the major college athletic associations, including NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III. Since the 2007–08 season, players from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) have also been eligible for this honor. Sponsored in the past by State Farm Insurance, the award highlights the exceptional talent and contributions to the sport, serving as a prestigious acknowledgement of the player's prowess and impact on the basketball landscape at various levels of competition.
List of NABC Player of the Year Winner
In NCAA Division I, Duke stands out with the most NABC Player of the Year awards, securing six in total and featuring five different players. Rivals North Carolina and Kansas share the second spot, each earning four awards with individual recipients. Notable moments include ties in 2002, 2004, and 2006. Only two players, Jason Williams and Ralph Sampson, have won the award multiple times, with Sampson being the sole winner twice. The most recent winners include Zach Edey from Purdue in Division I, RJ Sunahara from Nova Southeastern in Division II, Tyson Cruickshank from Wheaton in Division III, Mason Walters from Jamestown in NAIA, and Curt Lewis it from John A. Logan in Two-year College. The prestigious award has a rich history, with David Thompson winning the inaugural trophy in 1975, Danny Ainge claiming it for BYU in 1981, and Kevin Durant making history as the first freshman winner in 2007, and in 2022, Oscar Tshiebwe became the first player from Kentucky to earn this esteemed recognition.
| Season | Player | School | State | Position | Class |
| 1974–75 | David Thompson | NC State | North Carolina | SG / SF | Senior |
| 1975–76 | Scott May | Indiana | Indiana | F | Senior |
| 1976–77 | Marques Johnson | UCLA | California | G / F | Senior |
| 1977–78 | Phil Ford | North Carolina | North Carolina | PG | Senior |
| 1978–79 | Larry Bird | Indiana State | Indiana | SF | Senior |
| 1979–80 | Michael Brooks | La Salle | Pennsylvania | F | Senior |
| 1980–81 | Danny Ainge | Brigham Young | Utah | SG | Senior |
| 1981–82 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia | Virginia | C | Junior |
| 1982–83 | Ralph Sampson (2) | Virginia (2) | Virginia | C | Senior |
| 1983–84 | Michael Jordan | North Carolina (2) | North Carolina | SG | Junior |
| 1984–85 | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown | Washington, D.C. | C | Senior |
| 1985–86 | Walter Berry | St. John's | New York | PF | Senior |
| 1986–87 | David Robinson | Navy | Maryland | C | Senior |
| 1987–88 | Danny Manning | Kansas | Kansas | PF | Senior |
| 1988–89 | Sean Elliott | Arizona | Arizona | SF | Senior |
| 1989–90 | Lionel Simmons | La Salle (2) | Pennsylvania | SF | Senior |
| 1990–91 | Larry Johnson | UNLV | Nevada | PF | Senior |
| 1991–92 | Christian Laettner | Duke | North Carolina | PF | Senior |
| 1992–93 | Calbert Cheaney | Indiana (2) | Indiana | SF | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Glenn Robinson | Purdue | Indiana | SF / PF | Sophomore |
| 1994–95 | Shawn Respert | Michigan State | Michigan | SG | Senior |
| 1995–96 | Marcus Camby | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | C | Junior |
| 1996–97 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest | North Carolina | C | Senior |
| 1997–98 | Antawn Jamison | North Carolina (3) | North Carolina | SF | Junior |
| 1998–99 | Elton Brand | Duke (2) | North Carolina | C | Sophomore |
| 1999–00 | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati | Ohio | PF | Senior |
| 2000–01 | Jay Williams | Duke (3) | North Carolina | PG | Sophomore |
| 2001–02† | Drew Gooden | Kansas (2) | Kansas | C | Junior |
| Jay Williams (2) | Duke (4) | North Carolina | PG | Junior | |
| 2002–03 | Nick Collison | Kansas (3) | Kansas | PF | Senior |
| 2003–04† | Jameer Nelson | Saint Joseph's | Pennsylvania | PG | Senior |
| Emeka Okafor | Connecticut | Connecticut | C | Junior | |
| 2004–05 | Andrew Bogut | Utah | Utah | C | Sophomore |
| 2005–06† | Adam Morrison | Gonzaga | Washington | SF | Junior |
| JJ Redick | Duke (5) | North Carolina | SG | Senior | |
| 2006–07 | Kevin Durant | Texas | Texas | SF | Freshman |
| 2007–08 | Tyler Hansbrough | North Carolina (4) | North Carolina | PF | Junior |
| 2008–09 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | PF | Sophomore |
| 2009–10 | Evan Turner | Ohio State | Ohio | SF | Junior |
| 2010–11 | Jimmer Fredette | Brigham Young (2) | Utah | PG | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Draymond Green | Michigan State (2) | Michigan | PF | Senior |
| 2012–13 | Trey Burke | Michigan | Michigan | PG | Sophomore |
| 2013–14 | Doug McDermott | Creighton | Nebraska | SF | Senior |
| 2014–15 | Frank Kaminsky | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | PF / C | Senior |
| 2015–16 | Denzel Valentine | Michigan State (3) | Michigan | SG | Senior |
| 2016–17 | Frank Mason III | Kansas (4) | Kansas | PG | Senior |
| 2017–18 | Jalen Brunson | Villanova | Pennsylvania | PG | Junior |
| 2018–19 | Zion Williamson | Duke (6) | North Carolina | SF / PF | Freshman |
| 2019–20 | Obi Toppin | Dayton | Ohio | PF | Sophomore |
| 2020–21 | Luka Garza | Iowa | Iowa | C | Senior |
| 2021–22 | Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky | Kentucky | C | Junior |
| 2022–23 | Zach Edey | Purdue (2) | Indiana | C | Junior |
FAQ's On NABC Player of the Year Winner List
A. The NABC Player of the Year award was established in the 1974–75 season.
A. Duke holds the most NABC Player of the Year awards with six.
A. North Carolina has four NABC Player of the Year awards.
A. Jason Williams and Ralph Sampson are the only two players to win the NABC Player of the Year multiple times.
A. Zach Edey from Purdue is the most recent NABC Player of the Year winner in Division I.
