Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year

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Country
  
United States

First awarded
  
1983

Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year

Awarded for
  
the most outstanding basketball player in the Colonial Athletic Association

Currently held by
  
T. J. Williams, Northeastern

The Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Colonial Athletic Association's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the conference was known as the ECAC South basketball league. In 1985, the conference expanded to offer more sports, and became the Colonial Athletic Association.

The first award, the only tie, was given to Dan Ruland of James Madison and Carlos Yates of George Mason. Two different players have won the award three times. David Robinson of Navy won in 1984, 1985, and 1986. George Evans won in 1999, 2000, and 2001 while playing for George Mason. Evans' first award in 1999 was as a 28-year-old sophomore—he had served seven years in the United States Army, seeing combat in Somalia, Bosnia, and Desert Storm. Steve Hood of James Madison, Odell Hodge of Old Dominion, Brett Blizzard of UNC Wilmington, Eric Maynor of VCU, Charles Jenkins of Hofstra, and Jerrelle Benimon of Towson have each won the award twice.

As of 2017, three of the four schools with the most winners are no longer in the conference. The leader, George Mason (six winners), left for the Atlantic 10 in 2013. Hofstra, Old Dominion, and VCU have each had four winners, but only Hofstra remains in the CAA today; Old Dominion left for Conference USA in 2013, and VCU left for the A10 in 2012. Navy's three wins by Robinson were won while the team was a conference member for just nine years. Another charter member, Richmond, won three awards before leaving the conference in 2001. Other original members to leave, American and East Carolina, each have one recipient. Of the conference's current members, William & Mary went the longest without its first winner. In 2015, 32 years after the award was first handed out, Marcus Thornton claimed William & Mary's first ever CAA Player of the Year honor.

Winners by school

The CAA began in 1982 when it was known as the ECAC South. The CAA was officially organized in 1985 when it expanded from only a basketball conference. Awards from the ECAC are included.

References

Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year Wikipedia