Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year


The Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Colonial Athletic Association's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, when the conference was known as the ECAC South basketball league. In 1985, the conference expanded to offer more sports, and became the Colonial Athletic Association.
The first award, the only tie, was given to Dan Ruland of James Madison and Carlos Yates of George Mason. Two different players have won the award three times. David Robinson of Navy won in 1984, 1985, and 1986. George Evans won in 1999, 2000, and 2001 while playing for George Mason. Evans' first award in 1999 was as a 28-year-old sophomore—he had served seven years in the United States Army, seeing combat in Somalia, Bosnia, and Desert Storm. Steve Hood of James Madison, Odell Hodge of Old Dominion, Brett Blizzard of UNC Wilmington, Eric Maynor of VCU, Charles Jenkins of Hofstra, Jerrelle Benimon of Towson and Justin Wright-Foreman of Hofstra have each won the award twice.
Three of the four schools with the most winners are no longer in the conference. George Mason, left for the Atlantic 10 in 2013. Hofstra is the current CAA member with the most winners, while Old Dominion and VCU have each had four winners. Old Dominion left for Conference USA in 2013, and VCU left for the A10 in 2012. Navy's three wins by Robinson were won while the team was a conference member for just nine years. Another charter member, Richmond, won three awards before leaving the conference in 2001. Other original members to leave, American and East Carolina, each have one recipient. Of the conference's current members, William & Mary went the longest without its first winner. In 2015, 32 years after the award was first handed out, Marcus Thornton claimed William & Mary's first ever CAA Player of the Year honor.

Key

Winners

SeasonPlayerSchoolPositionClassReference
1982–83†James MadisonCenter
1982–83†George MasonForward
1983–84RichmondForward/Guard
1984–85NavyCenter
1985–86 NavyCenter
1986–87* NavyCenter
1987–88George MasonForward
1988–89East CarolinaForward
1989–90James MadisonShooting guard
1990–91 James MadisonShooting guard
1991–92RichmondShooting guard
1992–93AmericanForward/Guard
1993–94Old DominionCenter/Forward
1994–95Old DominionForward
1995–96VCUForward
1996–97 Old DominionCenter/Forward
1997–98RichmondSmall forward
1998–99George MasonCenter/Forward
1999–00 George MasonCenter/Forward
2000–01 George MasonCenter/Forward
2001–02UNC WilmingtonShooting guard
2002–03 UNC WilmingtonShooting guard
2003–04VCUPoint guard
2004–05Old DominionCenter/Forward
2005–06NortheasternPoint guard
2006–07HofstraGuard
2007–08VCUPoint guard
2008–09 VCUPoint guard
2009–10HofstraPoint guard
2010–11 HofstraPoint guard
2011–12George MasonSmall forward
2012–13TowsonPower forward
2013–14 TowsonPower forward
2014–15William & MaryShooting guard
2015–16HofstraShooting guard
2016–17NortheasternPoint guard
2017–18HofstraPoint guard
2018–19 HofstraPoint guard
2019–20William & MaryPower forward

Winners by school

The CAA began in 1982 when it was known as the ECAC South. The CAA was officially organized in 1985 when it expanded from only a basketball conference. Awards from the ECAC are included.
School WinnersYears
George Mason 61983†, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2012
Hofstra 62007, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2019
Old Dominion 41994, 1995, 1997, 2005
VCU 41996, 2004, 2008, 2009
James Madison 31983†, 1990, 1991
Navy 31985, 1986, 1987
Richmond 31984, 1992, 1998
Northeastern 22006, 2017
Towson 22013, 2014
UNC Wilmington 22002, 2003
William & Mary 22015, 2020
American 11993
East Carolina 11989
College of Charleston 0—
Delaware 0—
Drexel 0—
Elon 0—
Georgia State 0—

Footnotes