Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the league's inaugural season of 1979–80.

The head coaches of the league's teams (currently 10) submit their votes following the end of the regular season and before the conference's tournament in early March. The coaches cannot vote for their own players.

The award was introduced following the conference's first season in 1980, in which it was presented to John Duren of Georgetown. Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Richard Hamilton (Connecticut), Troy Bell (Boston College), Troy Murphy (Notre Dame) and Kris Dunn (Providence) each won the award twice, and Chris Mullin (St. John's) won three consecutive times from 1983 through 1985. Three award winners have been inducted as players to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ewing, who shared the award in 1984 and 1985 with Mullin, was inducted in 2008 after playing 17 years in the National Basketball Association between 1985 and 2002. Mullin followed in 2011 after a 16-year NBA career (1985–2001). Most recently, Georgetown's 1992 Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning entered the Hall in 2014 following a 16-year NBA career (1992–2008). There have been seven ties; the most recent instance was that between Dunn and Ryan Arcidiacono of Villanova in 2015.

Six players have been awarded a major national player of the year award in the same year that they received a Big East Player of the Year award. In 1985, Ewing and Mullin shared the conference award, while Ewing was named Naismith College Player of the Year and Mullin was given the John R. Wooden Award. The following year, Walter Berry of St. John's received the Wooden Award and the Big East Player of the Year award. In 1996, Ray Allen of Connecticut received the conference award and was also the final recipient of the UPI Player of the Year Award. In 2004, Connecticut's Emeka Okafor won the conference award while sharing NABC Player of the Year honors with Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's. Finally, Creighton's Doug McDermott received all major national awards along with the conference award in 2014. Georgetown has had the most winners, with eight. The only current Big East members without a winner are Butler and Xavier, both of which joined the conference at its relaunch following its 2013 split into two leagues, and DePaul, members since 2005. As of 2016, the award has been given 44 times in 37 seasons. Thirty-seven players from 13 schools have received the award: 19 seniors, 15 juniors, 10 sophomores, and no freshmen.