At the conclusion of the
NCAA men's and
women's Division I basketball championships (the
"Final Four" tournaments), the
Associated Press selects a
Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981. The last man to win the award despite not being on the Championship team was
Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983; the last woman to do so was
Dawn Staley in 1991. Only one player has been selected as MOP despite not being on his or her team's starting lineup, Louisville's
Luke Hancock in 2013. This award is
not meant to be considered a
Most Valuable Player award, although it is sometimes referred to as such.