| Awarded for | the men's and women's basketball MVPs of the Big Ten Conference |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Chicago Tribune |
| History | |
| First award | 1946 (men) 1988 (women) |
| Final award | 2007 |
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first presented in 1988.[1][2] It was considered the pre-eminent Big Ten basketball individual award, eventually being superseded by the present-day men's and women's players of the awards as voted upon by the league's coaches and media.[3] The Silver Basketball was discontinued after the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).
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] 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.