Top 10 NBA Players that Were Named Most Outstanding Players in the NCAA Tournament
In 1939, the NCAA introduced the first-ever Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award, given to the player who performed the best in the NCAA Tournament. Since then, it has been presented to some great players, including legends in the NBA.Here are the top 10 NBA players who won the award in college.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons. The first MOP award went to Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who led his Michigan State Spartans over Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores.
Magic would go on to win five NBA titles and take home three Finals MVPs in the 1980s for the Lakers.
Carmelo Kyam Anthony is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a national title over Kansas in 2003 while averaging 20.2 points per game.
He would then go on to play over 10 seasons in the NBA and helped Team USA win multiple gold medals in the Olympics.
Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. Davis led Kentucky over Kansas in 2012 despite shooting 1-for-10 from the field. He was able to grab 16 rebounds, five assists, six blocks, and three steals.
He then won an NBA title in 2020 with the Lakers.
Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team. Patrick Ewing was part of three national title games and won his only title for Georgetown in 1984 over Akeem Olajuwon and the University of Houston.
Despite a great career, Ewing was never able to win an NBA Championship.
Glen Rice led Michigan to the national title in 1989 at a time when the Wolverines won with their assistant coach taking over the team following the firing of their head coach. Rice scored 184 points in six games (30.6 ppg), including 31 in the title game against Seton Hall.
As one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, Rice spent time with the Heat and Hornets before joining the 2000 Lakers to win an NBA title.
James Ager Worthy is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Everyone remembers the 1982 NCAA Championship for Michael Jordan's game-winning shot that led North Carolina over Georgetown. Yet, it was James Worthy who was named the MOP after scoring 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting.
Worthy would later help the Showtime Lakers win three NBA titles in the 1980s and was also Finals MVP in 1988.
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, formerly known as Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American retired professional basketball player. Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the greatest players of all time, and he won the award in 1983. However, he holds the distinction of being the first player since 1966 to receive the honor while being on the losing team - and the last one to do so. His Houston Cougars lost in a heartbreaker to NC State.
Fortunately, Hakeem redeemed himself by winning two championship MVPs and NBA titles.
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. Joakim Noah led the Florida Gators to back-to-back national titles. In 2006, he earned the MOP award after averaging 16.2 points and 4.8 blocks per game.
Richard Hamilton helped lead UConn to the national title in 1999 over Duke. He would later join the Detroit Pistons and helped them win an NBA Championship.
Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He had previously played for the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets from 2011 to 2019, and the Boston Celtics from 2019-2021. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder after... read more Walker averaged 24 points per game as he led UConn to a stunning run through the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
