This year’s AP Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year is Oscar Robertson of Kentucky. He finished 25-6 this year and was the No. Once eligible he helped lead an impressive turnaround for the Wildcats, who were 9-16 last season. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this 6’9″ forward was shifted midway through his second season in West Virginia and dropped out for the rest of the previous season. He was unanimously named AP’s Player of the Year for the Southeastern Conference and was Kentucky’s first AP First-Team All-American since 2016. And he also led his team in steals and blocks, being the only major conference player to have at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. He posted 25 double-doubles, the second highest nationally. He led Kentucky and the SEC in scoring with 17.4 points per game. He led the country in rebounds at an average of 15.1 per game. He is only the fourth SEC player to have been awarded it, while the others are Davis, Shaquille O’Neill and Pete Maravich. This year’s recipient has become only the second player from Kentucky to receive the trophy, the other being Anthony Davis in 2012. Past recipients have included Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Lew Alcindor, now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Wilton, and eventually New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson. Voting for the award is held at the end of the season before the start of the NCAA Tournament. Since 1967 the recipient of the award has been chosen by the same panel of journalists that decides the weekly AP Top 25. Friday, 1 April 2022 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Barry Bedlan Associated Press Player of the Year press conferenceīarry Bedlan: It’s my pleasure today to present the AP Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year.

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