Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Southland Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the conference's inaugural basketball season of 1963–64. Five players have won the award two times: Jerry Rook, Larry Jeffries, Andrew Toney, Ryan Stuart and Thomas Walkup. No player has ever won three times.
McNeese State has the most all-time winners with eight. Two conference members have never had a winner: Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word. These schools are relatively new to the league, having both joined in 2013. Another school that entered in 2013, Abilene Christian, has one winner from its past tenure in the conference.
Key
Winners
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class | Reference |
| 1963–64 | Arkansas State | F | |||
| 1964–65 | Arkansas State | F | |||
| 1965–66 | Arkansas State | C | |||
| 1966–67 | Trinity | F | |||
| 1967–68 | Abilene Christian | G | |||
| 1968–69 | Trinity | F | |||
| 1969–70 | Lamar | G | |||
| 1970–71† | Lamar | F | |||
| 1970–71† | Arkansas State | G | |||
| 1971–72 | Southwestern Louisiana | SG | |||
| 1972–73 | Louisiana Tech | C | |||
| 1973–74 | Arkansas State | C | |||
| 1974–75 | McNeese State | F | |||
| 1975–76 | Louisiana Tech | SG | |||
| 1976–77 | Arkansas State | C | |||
| 1977–78 | Southwestern Louisiana | G | |||
| 1978–79 | McNeese State | PF | |||
| 1979–80 | Southwestern Louisiana | G | |||
| 1980–81 | Lamar | PG | |||
| 1981–82 | Texas–Arlington | SF | |||
| 1982–83 | Louisiana Tech | PF | |||
| 1983–84 | Lamar | SG | |||
| 1984–85 | McNeese State | PG/SG | |||
| 1985–86 | Northeast Louisiana | F | |||
| 1986–87 | McNeese State | F | |||
| 1987–88 | North Texas State | F | |||
| 1988–89 | North Texas | PG | |||
| 1989–90 | McNeese State | C | |||
| 1990–91† | Northeast Louisiana | PG/SG | |||
| 1990–91† | Northeast Louisiana | F | |||
| 1991–92 | Northeast Louisiana | SF | |||
| 1992–93 | Northeast Louisiana | SF | |||
| 1993–94 | Northwestern State | C | |||
| 1994–95 | Nicholls State | SG | |||
| 1995–96 | Northeast Louisiana | SG | |||
| 1996–97 | McNeese State | F | |||
| 1997–98 | UTSA | G | |||
| 1998–99 | Southwest Texas State | PG | |||
| 1999–00 | Louisiana–Monroe | PF | |||
| 2000–01 | McNeese State | PG | |||
| 2001–02 | UTSA | PF | |||
| 2002–03 | Sam Houston State | SF | |||
| 2003–04 | UTSA | SF | |||
| 2004–05 | Sam Houston State | SF/SG | |||
| 2005–06 | Southeastern Louisiana | F | |||
| 2006–07 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | C | |||
| 2007–08 | Stephen F. Austin | SF | |||
| 2008–09 | Stephen F. Austin | C | |||
| 2009–10 | Texas–Arlington | G | |||
| 2010–11 | Sam Houston State | SF | |||
| 2011–12 | McNeese State | SG/SF | |||
| 2012–13 | Stephen F. Austin | PF | |||
| 2013–14 | Stephen F. Austin | PF | |||
| 2014–15 | Stephen F. Austin | SG/SF | |||
| 2015–16 | Stephen F. Austin | SG/SF | |||
| 2016–17 | New Orleans | PF | |||
| 2017–18 | Central Arkansas | SG | |||
| 2018–19 | Sam Houston State | SG | |||
| 2019–20 | Stephen F. Austin | SG |
Winners by school
Footnotes
- Carlos Funchess was the NCAA Slam Dunk Competition winner following his senior season.
- The University of Louisiana at Monroe left in 2005 to join its football team in the Sun Belt Conference.
- UL-Monroe, at the time Northeast Louisiana, had both co-players of the year in 1991.
- Arkansas State University left to form the American South Conference in 1987. The Red Wolves are now in the Sun Belt Conference.
- Lamar University left in 1987 to form the American South Conference, later competing in the Sun Belt Conference and as an independent before returning to the Southland in 1999.
- Louisiana Tech University left in 1987 to form the American South Conference. The Bulldogs are now in Conference USA.
- The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as Southwestern Louisiana, left in 1982 to become an independent. The Ragin' Cajuns are now in the Sun Belt Conference.
- The University of Texas at San Antonio left in 2012 to join the WAC. The Roadrunners spent only one season in the WAC before joining C-USA.
- The University of North Texas left to join the Big West Conference in 1996. The Mean Green are now in C-USA.
- Trinity College was a founding member in 1963, but departed in 1971. The Tigers are now in Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
- The University of Texas at Arlington and Texas State University–San Marcos left in 2012 to join the WAC. Both schools spent only one season in the WAC before joining the Sun Belt Conference.
- Abilene Christian College was also a founding member, but departed in 1973. After 40 years in Division II Lone Star Conference, Abilene Christian returned to Division I and the Southland Conference in 2013.
- Oral Roberts University left the Southland Conference in 2014, returning to its previous home of The Summit League.