Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year | |
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Awarded for | the most outstanding male basketball player in the Big East Conference |
Country | United States |
First awarded | 1980 |
Currently held by | Kris Dunn, Providence |
The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the league's inaugural season of 1979–80.
The head coaches of the league's teams (currently 10) submit their votes following the end of the regular season and before the conference's tournament in early March. The coaches cannot vote for their own players.
The award was introduced following the conference's first season in 1980, in which it was presented to John Duren of Georgetown. Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Richard Hamilton (Connecticut), Troy Bell (Boston College), Troy Murphy (Notre Dame) and Kris Dunn (Providence) each won the award twice, and Chris Mullin (St. John's) won three consecutive times from 1983 through 1985. Three award winners have been inducted as players to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ewing, who shared the award in 1984 and 1985 with Mullin, was inducted in 2008 after playing 17 years in the National Basketball Association between 1985 and 2002. Mullin followed in 2011 after a 16-year NBA career (1985–2001). Most recently, Georgetown's 1992 Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning entered the Hall in 2014 following a 16-year NBA career (1992–2008). There have been seven ties; the most recent instance was that between Dunn and Ryan Arcidiacono of Villanova in 2015.