Naismith College Player of the Year

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.

Since its beginning in 1969, the trophy has been awarded to 42 male and 23 female players. Lew Alcindor of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University were the first winners, respectively. Bill Walton of UCLA and Ralph Sampson of the University of Virginia have been the only men to win this award multiple times, with both winning three times. Eight women in all have won this award multiple times. Cheryl Miller of the University of Southern California and Breanna Stewart of the University of Connecticut are the only three-times winners, while seven others won it twice: Clarissa Davis of the University of Texas, Dawn Staley of the University of Virginia, Chamique Holdsclaw of the University of Tennessee, Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore of the University of Connecticut, Seimone Augustus of Louisiana State University, and Brittney Griner of Baylor University. Davis and Moore are the only ones of either sex to have won multiple times in non-consecutive years.

Five winners of the award, all men, were born outside of the United States. Two of these were born in possessions of the United States, and were American citizens by birth:

The only three award winners who have been born outside the jurisdiction of the United States were:

Three 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, and Hield attended high school in Wichita, Kansas. 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.

Duke has had the most male winners with seven, while the Connecticut has had the most female winners, with nine awards won by six individuals. The award has been won by a freshman twice: Kevin Durant playing for Texas in 2007, and in 2012 by Anthony Davis of Kentucky.