The American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an award given to the American Athletic Conference's most outstanding player. The conference formed in 2013–14 after many schools departed from the original Big East Conference to form their own conference. Shabazz Napier of UConn was the first-ever winner.
 | |
| Awarded for | the most outstanding basketball player in the American Athletic Conference |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| History | |
| First award | 2014 |
| Most recent | Johnell Davis, Florida Atlantic & Chris Youngblood, South Florida |
Key
edit| † | Co-Players of the Year |
| * | Awarded a national player of the year award: Naismith College Player of the Year (1968–69 to present) John R. Wooden Award (1976–77 to present) |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had been awarded the AAC Player of the Year award at that point |
Winners
edit
Shabazz Napier, UConn, 2014
Nic Moore, SMU, 2015 and 2016
Semi Ojeleye, SMU, 2017
Gary Clark, Cincinnati, 2018
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Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati, 2019
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Precious Achiuwa, Memphis, 2020
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Tyson Etienne, Wichita State, 2021
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Quentin Grimes, Houston, 2021
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Shabazz Napier | UConn | PG | Senior | [1] |
| 2014–15 | Nic Moore | SMU | PG | Junior | [2] |
| 2015–16 | Nic Moore (2) | SMU | PG | Senior | [2] |
| 2016–17 | Semi Ojeleye | SMU | PF | Junior | [3] |
| 2017–18 | Gary Clark | Cincinnati | PF | Senior | [4] |
| 2018–19 | Jarron Cumberland | Cincinnati | SG | Junior | [5] |
| 2019–20 | Precious Achiuwa | Memphis | PF | Freshman | [6] |
| 2020–21† | Tyson Etienne | Wichita State | PG / SG | Sophomore | [7] |
| Quentin Grimes | Houston | SG | Junior | [8] | |
| 2021–22 | Kendric Davis | SMU | PG | Senior | [9] |
| 2022–23 | Marcus Sasser | Houston | PG / SG | Senior | [10] |
| 2023–24† | Johnell Davis | Florida Atlantic | PG / SG | Junior | [11] |
| Chris Youngblood | South Florida | SG | Senior | [11] |
Winners by school
editThe "year joined" reflects the calendar year in which each school joined the conference. Years for each award reflect the calendar year in which each season ended.
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| SMU (2013)[a] | 4 | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022 |
| Cincinnati (2013)[b] | 2 | 2018, 2019 |
| Houston (2013)[b] | 2 | 2021†, 2023 |
| Florida Atlantic (2023) | 1 | 2024† |
| Memphis (2013) | 1 | 2020 |
| South Florida (2013) | 1 | 2024† |
| UConn (2013)[c] | 1 | 2014 |
| Wichita State (2017) | 1 | 2021† |
| Charlotte (2023) | 0 | — |
| East Carolina (2014) | 0 | — |
| Louisville (2013)[d] | 0 | — |
| North Texas (2023) | 0 | — |
| Rice (2023) | 0 | — |
| Rutgers (2013)[d] | 0 | — |
| Temple (2013) | 0 | — |
| Tulane (2014) | 0 | — |
| Tulsa (2014) | 0 | — |
| UAB (2023) | 0 | — |
| UCF (2013)[b] | 0 | — |
| UTSA (2023) | 0 | — |
- ^ SMU will leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference after the 2023–24 season.
- ^ a b c Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF left for the Big 12 Conference after the 2022–23 season.
- ^ UConn left for the Big East Conference after the 2019–20 season.
- ^ a b Louisville and Rutgers played only the 2013–14 season in The American. In July 2014, they respectively left for the ACC and Big Ten.
References
edit- ^ "Shabazz Napier". Tulsa World. Tulsa, Oklahoma. March 17, 2014. p. 42. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Calhoun–Ollie". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. March 11, 2016. p. C5. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
For the second year in a row SMU guard Nic Moore has been named the AAC men's basketball player of the year.
- ^ "SMU sweeps AAC player, coaching awards". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. March 10, 2017. p. B2. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Groeschen, Tom (March 8, 2018). "Clark named the AAC's top player". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. p. C4. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pfahler, Laurel (March 22, 2019). "Cumberland embraces role as leader; team plays today". Hamilton JournalNews. Hamilton, Ohio. p. C3. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Barnes, Evan (March 24, 2020). "Achiuwa named to NABC District 24 first team". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B5. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Eldridge, Taylor (March 11, 2021). "WSU's Brown, Etienne win big in AAC men's all-conference awards". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. p. B1. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jenkins, Keith (March 15, 2021). "The Final Struggle". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. p. B1. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "AAC Tournament Semifinals". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. March 13, 2022. p. B3. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "AAC Men's Basketball All-Conference Team Awards". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. March 9, 2023. p. B4. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "AAC men's basketball awards". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. March 13, 2024. p. B3. Retrieved June 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.