At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships (the "Final Four" tournaments), the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP is often, but not always, a member of the Championship team.

Although the men's tournament began in 1939, this award was not given officially until the following tournament in 1940. The MOP award for women has been awarded since the inception of the women's tournament in 1982.

Past winners of the NCAA Men's Division I MOP Award

• 1939 -- unofficial: Jimmy Hull, Ohio State
• 1940 -- Marvin Huffman, Indiana
• 1941 -- John Kotz, Wisconsin
• 1942 -- Howie Dallmar, Stanford
• 1943 -- Ken Sailors, Wyoming
• 1944 -- Arnie Ferrin, Utah
• 1945 -- Bob Kurland, Oklahoma A&M
• 1946 -- Bob Kurland, Oklahoma A&M
• 1947 -- George Kaftan, Holy Cross
• 1948 -- Alex Groza, Kentucky
• 1949 -- Alex Groza, Kentucky
• 1950 -- Irwin Dambrot, CCNY
• 1951 -- (none selected) unofficial: Bill Spivey, Kentucky
• 1952 -- Clyde Lovellette, Kansas
• 1953 -- B. H. Born, Kansas
• 1954 -- Tom Gola, La Salle
• 1955 -- Bill Russell, San Francisco
• 1956 -- Hal Lear, Temple
• 1957 -- Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas
• 1958 -- Elgin Baylor, Seattle
• 1959 -- Jerry West, West Virginia
• 1960 -- Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
• 1961 -- Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
• 1962 -- Paul Hogue, Cincinnati
• 1963 -- Art Heyman, Duke
• 1964 -- Walt Hazzard, UCLA
• 1965 -- Bill Bradley, Princeton
• 1966 -- Jerry Chambers, Utah
• 1967 -- Lew Alcindor, UCLA
• 1968 -- Lew Alcindor, UCLA
• 1969 -- Lew Alcindor, UCLA
• 1970 -- Sidney Wicks, UCLA
• 1971 -- (none) (Howard Porter, Villanova - later ruled ineligible)
• 1972 -- Bill Walton, UCLA
• 1973 -- Bill Walton, UCLA
• 1974 -- David Thompson, NC State
• 1975 -- Richard Washington, UCLA
• 1976 -- Kent Benson, Indiana
• 1977 -- Butch Lee, Marquette
• 1978 -- Jack Givens, Kentucky
• 1979 -- Earvin Johnson, Michigan State
• 1980 -- Darrell Griffith, Louisville
• 1981 -- Isiah Thomas, Indiana
• 1982 -- James Worthy, North Carolina
• 1983 -- Akeem Olajuwon, Houston
• 1984 -- Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
• 1985 -- Ed Pinckney , Villanova
• 1986 -- Pervis Ellison, Louisville
• 1987 -- Keith Smart , Indiana
• 1988 -- Danny Manning, Kansas
• 1989 -- Glen Rice, Michigan
• 1990 -- Anderson Hunt , UNLV
• 1991 -- Christian Laettner, Duke
• 1992 -- Bobby Hurley, Duke
• 1993 -- Donald Williams , North Carolina
• 1994 -- Corliss Williamson , Arkansas
• 1995 -- Ed O'Bannon , UCLA
• 1996 -- Tony Delk, Kentucky
• 1997 -- Miles Simon , Arizona
• 1998 -- Jeff Sheppard , Kentucky
• 1999 -- Richard Hamilton, UConn
• 2000 -- Mateen Cleaves , Michigan State
• 2001 -- Shane Battier , Duke
• 2002 -- Juan Dixon, Maryland
• 2003 -- Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
• 2004 -- Emeka Okafor, UConn
• 2005 -- Sean May, North Carolina

Past winners of the NCAA Women's Division I MOP Award

• 1982 -- Janice Lawrence , Louisiana Tech
• 1983 -- Cheryl Miller , USC
• 1984 -- Cheryl Miller , USC
• 1985 -- Tracy Claxton , Old Dominion
• 1986 -- Clarissa Davis , Texas
• 1987 -- Tonya Edwards , Tennessee
• 1988 -- Erica Westbrooks , Louisiana Tech
• 1989 -- Bridgette Gordon , Tennessee
• 1990 -- Jennifer Azzi , Stanford
• 1991 -- Dawn Staley, Virginia
• 1992 -- Molly Goodenbour , Stanford
• 1993 -- Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech
• 1994 -- Charlotte Smith , North Carolina
• 1995 -- Rebecca Lobo, UConn
• 1996 -- Michelle Marciniak , Tennessee
• 1997 -- Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
• 1998 -- Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
• 1999 -- Ukari Figgs , Purdue
• 2000 -- Shea Ralph , UConn
• 2001 -- Ruth Riley , Notre Dame
• 2002 -- Swin Cash, UConn
• 2003 -- Diana Taurasi, UConn
• 2004 -- Diana Taurasi, UConn
• 2005 -- Sophia Young , Baylor