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.
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Magic Johnson (1979)
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. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. Johnson won five NBA championships, three... read more
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.
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Carmelo Anthony (2003)
Carmelo Kyam Anthony is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Los Angeles Lakers and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. Anthony had a successful NBA career that included ten All-Star selections and a scoring title.
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.
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Anthony Davis (2012)
Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the NBA. He was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Dallas Mavericks on February 2, 2025, in a blockbuster midseason deal involving Luka Dončić. Davis later joined the Wizards... read more
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.
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Patrick Ewing (1984)
Patrick Aloysius Ewing is a Jamaican-American former professional basketball player and coach, born on August 5, 1962. He had a Hall of Fame career in the NBA, most notably with the New York Knicks, and currently serves as a basketball ambassador for the team. Ewing also served as the head coach of the... read more
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.
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Glen Rice (1989)
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.
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James Worthy (1982)
James Ager Worthy is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. He played his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping them win three championships in the 1980s. Worthy was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame... read more
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.
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Hakeem Olajuwon (1983)
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, formerly known as Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American retired professional basketball player. He played in the NBA from 1984 to 2002, spending most of his career with the Houston Rockets. Olajuwon led the Rockets to two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and was named NBA Finals... read more
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.
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Joakim Noah (2006)
Joakim Simon Noah, born on February 25, 1985, is a retired professional basketball player. He played in the NBA from 2007 to 2020 and spent most of his career with the Chicago Bulls. Noah was a two-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2014.
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.
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Richard Hamilton (1999)
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.
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Kemba Walker (2011)
Kemba Hudley Walker, born May 8, 1990, is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He retired from professional basketball in July 2024 after playing for AS Monaco in France's LNB Pro A.
Following his retirement, he became a player enhancement coach for the Charlotte Hornets... read more
Walker averaged 24 points per game as he led UConn to a stunning run through the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
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Bill Walton (1973)
William Theodore Walton III was an American basketball player and television sportscaster. He won two NCAA championships with UCLA, one NBA title with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and another with the Boston Celtics in 1986. After retiring from professional basketball, he became known for his... read more
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Danny Manning (1988)