Naismith Award Winners

Since it was established in 1969, the Naismith Award is presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the national college basketball Player of the Year, as selected by a voting panel comprised of head coaches, administrators and media members from across the country. It is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, creator of the game.

Complete List of Naismith Award Winners

Bill Walton (UCLA), Ralph Sampson (Virginia) and Zach Edey (Purdue) are the only players to win the Naismith Award multiple times. Walton and Sampson won it 3 times each. Edey twice.

Here is the list of the award’s winners:

* Later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Brett Friedlander

Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.