 | |
| Awarded for | the most outstanding basketball player in the Horizon League |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| History | |
| First award | 1980 |
| Most recent | Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy |
The Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Horizon League's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1979–80 season, the first year of the conference's existence. Seven players have won the award multiple times: Byron Larkin, Brian Grant, Rashad Phillips, Alfredrick Hughes, Keifer Sykes, Loudon Love, and Antoine Davis. Hughes, unlike the other four who each won twice, was awarded the player of the year on three occasions.
There have only been three ties in the award's history (1981, 1983, 2022). Butler, which left for the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2012 and is now in the Big East Conference, has seven recipients, which is tied for the most all-time with Detroit Mercy. Four current members of the Horizon League have never had a winner – IUPUI, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, and Youngstown State. However, these schools include the conference's three newest members—IUPUI joined in 2017, while Purdue Fort Wayne and Robert Morris joined in 2020. The only long-established member without a winner is Youngstown State, which joined in 2002.
Key
| † | Co-Players of the Year |
| * | Awarded a national player of the year award: UPI College Basketball Player of the Year (1954–55 to 1995–96) 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 has been awarded the Horizon League Player of the Year award at that point |
Winners
Winners by school
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Butler (1980)[lower-alpha 1] | 7 | 1991, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| Detroit Mercy (1981)[lower-alpha 2] | 7 | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2013, 2022†, 2023 |
| Loyola Chicago (1980)[lower-alpha 3] | 6 | 1981†, 1982, 1983†, 1984, 1985, 1987 |
| Xavier (1980)[lower-alpha 4] | 5 | 1986, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994 |
| Green Bay (1995) | 3 | 1996, 2014, 2015 |
| Oakland (2013) | 3 | 2016, 2018, 2022† |
| Wright State (1995) | 3 | 2007, 2020, 2021 |
| Evansville (1980)[lower-alpha 5] | 2 | 1989, 1992 |
| Milwaukee (1995) | 2 | 2004, 2005 |
| Oral Roberts (1980)[lower-alpha 6] | 2 | 1980, 1983† |
| UIC (1995)[lower-alpha 7] | 2 | 1995, 1998 |
| Valparaiso (2008)[lower-alpha 8] | 2 | 2012, 2017 |
| Cleveland State (1995) | 1 | 2011 |
| Northern Kentucky (2015) | 1 | 2019 |
| Oklahoma City (1980)[lower-alpha 9] | 1 | 1981† |
| IUPUI (2017) | 0 | — |
| Purdue Fort Wayne (2020) | 0 | — |
| Robert Morris (2020) | 0 | — |
| Youngstown State (2002) | 0 | — |
- ↑ Butler University left after 2011–12 to join the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), and joined the Big East Conference in 2013.
- ↑ The Detroit Mercy athletic program was branded solely as "Detroit" until the 2017–18 season, even though the university's current name has been in effect since 1990.
- ↑ Loyola University Chicago left after 2012–13 to join the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), and joined the A-10 in July 2022.
- ↑ Xavier University left after 1995–96 to join the A-10, and joined the Big East in 2013.
- ↑ The University of Evansville left after 1993–94 to join the MVC.
- ↑ Oral Roberts University left after 1986–87 to join the Mid-Continent Conference (now known as The Summit League). Apart from a two-season stint in the Southland Conference from 2012 to 2014, it has remained in The Summit League.
- ↑ The University of Illinois Chicago left after the 2021–22 season to join the MVC.
- ↑ Valparaiso University left after 2016–17 to join the MVC.
- ↑ Oklahoma City University left after 1984–85 to join the Sooner Athletic Conference in the NAIA.
References
- General
- "Horizon League Men's Basketball Historical Records". Horizon League. pp. 86–92. Archived from the original (pdf) on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
- Specific
- ↑ "McDonald Named #HLMBB Player of the Year, Horizon League Announces All-League Teams" (Press release). Horizon League. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ↑ "Horizon League Reveals 2019-20 #HLMBB All-League Awards" (Press release). Horizon League. March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ↑ "Loudon Love wins second straight Horizon League Player of the Year award" (Press release). Dayton 247. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- 1 2 "Horizon League Unveils 2021-22 #HLMBB All-League Awards" (Press release). Horizon League. February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
- ↑ "Calhoun Named Coach of the Year; Four Earn Postseason Accolades" (Press release). YSUsports.com. February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.