In recent years the award has usually gone to the most outstanding player of the team that won the
Division I NCAA Tournament. During the first five years of the tournament the most outstanding player did not come from the winning squad but since 1953 the MOP has not been on the victorious school in only three years (1955, 1960 and 1985). Only two players have been named MOP more than once (
Lou Angotti and
Marc Behrend), however neither was able to do so in consecutive years. In 1960 the MOP was awarded to multiple players for the first time when it was awarded to three separate people, none of whom played for the National Champion. It has not been awarded to more than one player in a single year since. The
2020 tournament was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, as a result no tournament Most Outstanding Player was awarded. ==Award winners==