There isn’t a more significant award in college basketball than the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year.
Now, it is time to figure out when fans should expect the award to be given out.
National Player of the Year Award Timetable
The process of deciding the winner of the National Player of the Year usually starts in either late October or early November, before the start of the next college basketball season. This is when the award watch list is announced.
The midseason list of potential candidates for the award is announced in February. Finalists are then announced in March while the NCAA Tournament is still taking place.
The winner of the award is set to be announced on April 6 this year, which will be right around the time of the Final Four and the national championship game.
It will be fascinating to see which players could be in the running to take home the coveted trophy at the end of the season.
Previous Winners
The first award was handed out in 1969 to a player by the name of Lew Alcindor, who would later be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Of course, the award’s history is filled with unforgettable college players and historic NBA players. Those great college players included Jimmer Fredette, Christian Laettner, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Manning, Ralph Sampson, and Evan Turner.
KEEP READING: ‘Best Player in College Basketball’ – Johni Broome’s Impact Will Be Huge, Bruce Pearl Says
Of course, some of the greatest NBA names of all time, such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Patrick Ewing, and Bill Walton, have also had the honor of taking home the award.
This year, there are plenty of great candidates. Perhaps the two biggest names are Duke forward Cooper Flagg and Auburn forward Johni Broome.
COOPER FLAGG JUST WENT COAST-TO-COAST AND POSTERIZED THE DEFENDER 😱🔥
ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z5jcZ756ew
— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2025
Flagg is arguably the best player in America at 18 years of age. He can affect both ends of the court in a big way, averaging 19.6 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 4.2 assists per game.
For Broome, the All-SEC performer is averaging a double-double at 18.7 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game.
It could be a true race to the finish for these two stars.
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