Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year


The Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Western Athletic Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1980–81 season. Keith Van Horn of Utah and Nick Fazekas of Nevada are the only players to have won the award three times. Three other players—Michael Cage, Josh Grant and Melvin Ely—have won the award twice. Danny Ainge, the first ever WAC Player of the Year, was also the John R. Wooden Award winner in 1980–81.
Utah has the most all-time winners with seven. There have been four ties in the award's history, most notably in 1982–83 when there was a three-way tie. Due mainly to major membership turnover from 2010 to 2014, only three current WAC members—California Baptist, New Mexico State, and Utah Valley—have had a winner.

Key

Winners

SeasonPlayerSchoolPositionClass
1980–81*BYUSG
1981–82WyomingSF
1982–83†San Diego StateC
1982–83†BYUSF
1982–83†UtahSG
1983–84 San Diego StateC
1984–85BYUSF
1985–86San Diego StateF
1986–87WyomingSF
1987–88BYUSF
1988–89UTEPPG
1989–90Colorado StateF
1990–91UtahPF
1991–92WyomingF
1992–93 UtahPF
1993–94New MexicoPG
1994–95UtahSG / SF
1995–96 UtahSG / SF
1996–97†HawaiiPG
1996–97† UtahSG / SF
1997–98†TCUPF
1997–98†New MexicoSG / SF
1998–99†UtahPG
1998–99†SMUSG
1999–00Fresno StateSG
2000–01Fresno StateC
2001–02 Fresno StateC
2002–03SMUPF
2003–04NevadaSG / SF
2004–05NevadaPF / C
2005–06 NevadaPF / C
2006–07 NevadaPF / C
2007–08Utah StateSG
2008–09Utah StateF
2009–10NevadaPF
2010–11Utah StatePF
2011–12NevadaPG
2012–13IdahoC
2013–14New Mexico StateSG
2014–15UMKCSG / PG
2015–16New Mexico StatePF
2016–17New Mexico StatePG
2017–18New Mexico StatePF
2018–19Utah ValleySG
2019–20California BaptistSG

Winners by school

Footnotes