The Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball was an award presented annually by the Chicago Tribune to the men's and women's college basketball most valuable players of the Big Ten Conference each season, as voted upon by the league's coaches and officials. The Chicago Tribune awarded the Silver Basketball for men's basketball beginning in 1946 while the women's award was first presented in 1988.[1][2] It was considered the pre-eminent Big Ten basketball individual award, eventually being superseded by the present-day men's and women's players of the awards as voted upon by the league's coaches and media.[3] The Silver Basketball was discontinued after the 2006–07 season.
A number of men's and women's honorees were also named the national player of the year (NPOY) by one of the major selectors in the same season of this award. On the men's side, nine unique players represented 10 NPOYs, with Ohio State's Jerry Lucas repeating as back-to-back NPOY in 1961 and 1962. On the women's side, two players were also NPOYs: Carol Ann Shudlick (1994) and Stephanie White (1999).
aBobby Jackson's selection was later vacated (along with that season's win total and all other accolades) due to an academic fraud scandal that ruled the entire team ineligible.[65]
Current Big Ten Conference teams not listed in the winners by school charts above is because they joined the conference after 2007 when the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball was last awarded.
^"Embracing expectations". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. March 20, 2002. Retrieved May 4, 2024. As Indiana sophomore forward Jared Jeffries scanned the list of Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball winners, going all the way back to 1946, his eyes lit up each time they rested upon a familiar name.
^"Edwards finds a home at Iowa". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. May 11, 1988. Retrieved May 4, 2024. [Edwards] will also leave as the overwhelming winner of the Chicago Tribune-Big 10 Silver Basketball trophy, the first time such an award has been given to the league's premier women`s basketball player.
^Smith, Wilfrid (March 25, 1949). "Eddleman voted Big 10's most valuable". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 39. Retrieved May 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Damer, Roy (April 13, 1974). "Campy MVP in Big 10". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 107. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ab"Scott May 2-Time MVP In Big Ten". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. April 25, 1976. p. 45. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Conklin, Mike (May 6, 1985). "'Unknown' Tarpley now Big 10 MVP". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 35. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Conklin, Mike (April 30, 1986). "Skiles wins MVP". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. p. 15. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Homer, Jody (April 28, 1987). "Alford named Big 10's best". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 43. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Evans simply the best". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. March 27, 1996. p. 215. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ab"Big Ten MVPs named". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. March 20, 1997. p. 1. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abMorrissey, Rick; Jauss, Bill (March 18, 1998). "Full court impress". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 61. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abMorrissey, Rick; Jauss, Bill (March 24, 1999). "Follow the leaders". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 52. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abJauss, Bill; Bagnato, Andrew (March 29, 2000). "Silver recipients are good as gold". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 49. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abMyslenski, Skip; Jauss, Bill (April 2, 2004). "Sharing the spotlight". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 4. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abGarcia, Marlen; Jauss, Bill (March 30, 2005). "Clearly this year's best". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 4. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Myslenski, Skip (March 8, 2006). "Dialed-in performance". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. p. 4. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.