Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year
Awarded forNational men's college basketball player of the year
CountryUnited States
History
First award1943 (with retroactive awards for 1905–1943)
Final award1983

The Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year was an annual men's college basketball award given to the most outstanding men′s player in the United States. It was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation, an organization founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms, the owner of Helms Bakery in Los Angeles.[1]

The award was first presented in 1944, when the Helms Athletic Foundation announced Schroeder′s player-of-the-year selection for the 1943–44 season as well as his retroactive picks for the player of the year for each season from 1904–05 to 1942–43.[1] Schroeder then began selecting a player of the year annually.

After Paul Helms' death in 1957, his family continued supporting the foundation until 1969, when the bakeries went out of business.[2] Schroeder found a new benefactor in United Savings & Loan,[2] and the foundation's name became United Savings–Helms Athletic Foundation.[3][4] United merged with Citizens Savings & Loan in 1973, when the foundation became the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation.[2] It was again renamed when First Interstate Bank assumed sponsorship and was known as the First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation in the award's final years after 1981.[5][6] Schroeder made his last player-of-the-year selection for the 1982–83 season, after which the award came to an end.

Key

† Co-Players of the Year
* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Player of the Year award at that point

NOTE: Winners prior to the 1942–43 season were selected retroactively in 1943[7] and 1957.

Players of the Year

In 1944, Christian Steinmetz retroactively was named the award winner for 1905.
John Wooden (Purdue), who’s more well known for his coaching career, was retroactively named the winner for the 1931–32 season in 1944.
George Mikan of DePaul won in 1944 and 1945.
Bill Russell is the only winner from San Francisco.
Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was the only three-time winner.
Bill Walton of UCLA was awarded in 1972 and 1973.
David Thompson was a two-time winner with NC State in 1974 and 1975.
Larry Bird was the recipient of the award in 1979.
Season Player School Position Class Ref
1904–05 Christian Steinmetz* Wisconsin F Senior [8][9]
1905–06 George Grebenstein Dartmouth F Junior
1906–07 Gilmore Kinney Yale F Senior
1907–08 Charles Keinath Pennsylvania F Junior
1908–09 John Schommer* Chicago C Senior
1909–10 Harlan "Pat" Page Chicago G Senior
1910–11 Ted Kiendl Columbia F Senior
1911–12 Otto Stangel Wisconsin F Senior
1912–13 Eddie Calder St. Lawrence F Senior
1913–14 Gil Halstead Cornell C Senior
1914–15 Ernest Houghton Union (NY) G Senior
1915–16 George Levis Wisconsin F Senior
1916–17 Ray Woods Illinois G Senior
1917–18 Bill Chandler Wisconsin C Senior
1918–19 Erling Platou Minnesota G Junior
1919–20 Howard Cann* NYU F Senior [7]
1920–21 George Williams Missouri C Senior
1921–22 Chuck Carney Illinois C Senior
1922–23 Paul Endacott* Kansas G Senior
1923–24 Charlie T. Black Kansas G Senior
1924–25 Earl Mueller Colorado College C Senior
1925–26 Jack Cobb North Carolina F Senior
1926–27 Vic Hanson* Syracuse F Senior
1927–28 Victor Holt Oklahoma C Senior
1928–29 John "Cat" Thompson* Montana State F Junior
1929–30 Chuck Hyatt* Pittsburgh G Senior
1930–31 Bart Carlton Ada Teachers College G Senior
1931–32 John Wooden* Purdue G Junior
1932–33 Forest Sale Kentucky F / C Senior
1933–34 Wesley Bennett Westminster (PA) C Senior
1934–35 Leroy Edwards Kentucky C Sophomore
1935–36 John Moir Notre Dame F Sophomore
1936–37 Hank Luisetti* Stanford F Sophomore
1937–38 Hank Luisetti* (2) Stanford F Junior
1938–39 Chet Jaworski Rhode Island F Senior
1939–40 George Glamack North Carolina C Junior
1940–41 George Glamack (2) North Carolina C Senior
1941–42 Stan Modzelewski Rhode Island G / F Senior
1942–43 George Senesky Saint Joseph's G Senior [8][9]
1943–44 George Mikan* DePaul C Junior
1944–45 George Mikan* (2) DePaul C Senior
1945–46 Bob Kurland* Oklahoma A&M C Senior
1946–47 Gerald Tucker Oklahoma C Senior
1947–48 Ed Macauley* Saint Louis C Junior
1948–49 Tony Lavelli Yale F Senior
1949–50 Paul Arizin* Villanova F Senior [10]
1950–51 Dick Groat Duke G Junior [8][9]
1951–52 Clyde Lovellette* Kansas F / C Senior
1952–53 Bob Houbregs* Washington C Senior
1953–54 Tom Gola* La Salle G / F Senior
1954–55 Bill Russell* San Francisco C Junior
1955–56 Bill Russell* (2) San Francisco C Senior
1956–57 Lennie Rosenbluth North Carolina F Senior
1957–58 Elgin Baylor* Seattle F / C Junior
1958–59 Oscar Robertson* Cincinnati G Junior
1959–60 Oscar Robertson* (2) Cincinnati G Senior
1960–61 Jerry Lucas* Ohio State F / C Junior
1961–62 Paul Hogue Cincinnati C Senior
1962–63 Art Heyman Duke G Senior
1963–64 Walt Hazzard UCLA G Senior
1964–65† Bill Bradley* Princeton G / F Senior
Gail Goodrich* UCLA G Senior
1965–66 Cazzie Russell Michigan G / F Senior
1966–67 Lew Alcindor* UCLA C Sophomore
1967–68 Lew Alcindor* (2) UCLA C Junior
1968–69 Lew Alcindor* (3) UCLA C Senior
1969–70† Pete Maravich* LSU G Senior
Sidney Wicks UCLA F / C Junior
1970–71† Austin Carr Notre Dame G Senior
Sidney Wicks (2) UCLA F / C Senior
1971–72 Bill Walton* UCLA C Sophomore
1972–73 Bill Walton* (2) UCLA C Junior
1973–74† Bill Walton* (3) UCLA C Senior [11]
David Thompson* NC State G / F Junior
1974–75 David Thompson* (2) NC State G / F Senior [8][9]
1975–76† Kent Benson Indiana C Junior
Scott May Indiana F Senior
1976–77 Marques Johnson UCLA G Senior [12]
1977–78 Jack Givens Kentucky G / F Senior [13]
1978–79 Larry Bird* Indiana State F Senior [14]
1979–80 Darrell Griffith Louisville G Senior [15]
1980–81 Mark Aguirre DePaul F Sophomore [16]
1981–82† Ralph Sampson* Virginia C Junior [5]
James Worthy* North Carolina F Junior
1982–83 Akeem Olajuwon* Houston C Sophomore [17][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Scott, Jon (Nov 9, 2010). "The truth behind the Helms Committee". Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Drooz, Alan (January 15, 1981). "New Home Being Sought for Southland's Sports Hall of Fame". Los Angeles Times. p. 12. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Hall, John (August 31, 1976). "So Help Me". Los Angeles Times. Part III, p. 2. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Raymond Lewis, Verbum Dei Guard, Named Top CIF 'AAA' Basketball Player For '71 Season" (Press release). United Savings–Helms Athletic Foundation. March 24, 1971. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "RALPH SAMPSON, JAMES WORTHY TOP 1982 COLLEGE BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM SELECTIONS" (Press release). First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation. April 3, 1982. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020. Virginia's 7' 4" center, RALPH SAMPSON, and North Carolina's 6• 9" forward, JAMES WORTHY, have been chosen College Basketball's Co-Players of the Year for the 1982 season, by First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation.
  6. ^ "Templeton Makes Public Apology, Rejoins Cardinals for Road Trip". Los Angeles Times. September 15, 1981. Part III, p. 4. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Helms Athletic Foundation — Collegiate Basketball Record — Part II" (Press release). Los Angeles: Helms Athletic Foundation. February 1943. p. 10. Retrieved December 22, 2023. These Basketball Player of the Year selections have been made by Helms Athletic Foundation, following careful study of the performances of outstanding players for each season since 1920. Basketball Player of the Year selections will be made by Helms Athletic Foundation at the conclusion of each season in the future.
  8. ^ a b c d "Helms Foundation Player of the Year Winners". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2010. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c d Bjarkman, Peter (1996). Hoopla: A Century of College Basketball. Masters Press. ISBN 1-57028-039-8.
  10. ^ Ashford, Ed (April 4, 1950). "Helms Rates Arizin Top Player, CCNY No. 1 Quintet". The Lexington Herald. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Selection of CCNY as the nation's top team was not difficult after the Beavers made an unprecedented sweep of the NIT and NCAA tournaments.
  11. ^ Written at Los Angeles. "Thompson, Walton Honored by CSAF". The Times and Democrat. Orangeburg, South Carolina. Associated Press. April 3, 2023. p. 14A. Retrieved December 28, 2023. David Thompson of North Carolina State and Bill Walton of UCLA were named college basketball Players of the Year Wednesday by the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation. It was the third consecutive year Walton was cited.
  12. ^ "Honors Wilkins as All-American". The Daily Pantagraph. April 6, 1977. p. B-3. Retrieved December 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Givens selected as top cager". The Lexington Leader. April 5, 1978. p. B-2. Retrieved December 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Written at Los Angeles. "Bird Is Named Player of Year". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. United Press International. April 1, 1979. p. 6-C. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Larry Bird was named college basketball's Player of the Year by the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation. Sophomore Earvin Johnson of NCAA champion Michigan State finished second in the voting.
  15. ^ "Griffth adds two more awards". The Kansas City Times. April 1, 1980. p. D-4. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Griffith has also been named college basketball player of the year by Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles an award that goes back to 1905.
  16. ^ Anderson, Claude (April 7, 1981). "Getting set for run at the roses". The Sun. pp. D-1, D-5. Retrieved May 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. DePaul's Mark Aguirre was player-of-the-year and UC Irvine's Kevin Magee (the only other Southlander selected) made it at a forward.
  17. ^ "Sitton Chosen to A-A Squad". Corvallis Gazette Times. April 12, 1983. p. 14. Retrieved December 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Bender, Jack (June 29, 1983). "It's summer—and basketball is back". Waterloo Courier. p. B-1. Retrieved December 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. And only the Athletic Foundation funded by First Interstate Bank (formerly the Helms awards) picked Akeem Abdul Olajuwon of NCAA runnerup Houston as its player of the year.

External links

Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year
U.S. men's college basketball awards
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