BIG TEN ANNOUNCES 2026 MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Teams and individual award winners for the 2025-26 season. A total of 15 student-athletes were selected to the All-Big Ten teams by the coaches and the media. Additionally, 11 student-athletes were awarded honorable mention status

Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg was named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the media. Lendeborg is the sixth Wolverine to earn the honor and the first since Nik Stauskas in 2014

Lendeborg stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 blocked shots, and 1.2 steals per game while averaging just shy of 30 minutes per game. The Pennsauken, N.J. native has scored in double figures in 24 of Michigan’s 31 games and secured north of 10 rebounds on seven occasions.

Fellow Wolverine Aday Mara was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, joining two-time winner Gary Grant in 1987 and 1988. The sophomore leads the Big Ten ranks fifth in the country with 80 total blocked shots and 2.58 blocks per game

Both the coaches and media selected Illinois’ Keaton Wagler as Freshman of the Year. Wagler averaged a team-leading 17.9 points and broke the Illinois freshman scoring record, previously held by Cory Bradford in 1998-99, also a previous Big Ten Freshman of the Year honoree. Wagler also joins D.J. Richardson (2010) and Kofi Cockburn (2020) as previous Illini Freshman of the Year

Nebraska freshman Braden Frager was named Sixth Man of the Year, a first for the Huskers. Frager’s 11.7 points per game were good for third on the team, while his 5.9 rebounds led the squad. A three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Frager posted six 20-point games this season, including a January 13^th contest that saw him go 8-for-13 from three-point range.

The coaches selected Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg as Coach of the Year. This is the second Big Ten Coach of the Yeah honor for Hoiberg, who has led the Huskers to a program record 15 Big Ten victories and 26 wins in total, tying the school record. The Huskers finished tied for second in the Big Ten regular-season standings, the program’s best finish since a runner-up showing in the Big Eight in 1992-93.

The media chose Michigan’s Dusty May as its Coach of the Year. May led the Wolverines to the number one seed in the Big Ten Tournament and their 16th conference title. The Wolverines enter postseason play with a 29-2 record, highlighted by 24 wins by double figures, including 13 by 20 or more, 10 by 30 or more, and a Big Ten-record seven victories by 40 or more points, along with one win by 50 or more points.

Wisconsin assistant coach Sharif Chambliss is this year’s recipient of the Howard Moore Assistant Coach of the Year Award. A former Wisconsin captain, Chambliss has spent the last five seasons on the Badger bench. Chambliss, who helped the Badgers secure the 2022 Big Ten regular season title remains active in the Madison community by volunteering for the Badger Challenge, Balance and Believe, Garding Against Cancer events, among others.

The Howard Moore Award, which honors former Wisconsin student-athlete and assistant coach Howard Moore, is presented to a men’s basketball assistant coach who demonstrates commitment to the development of student-athletes on and off the court; who has made a measurable contribution to the betterment of their community; and who has shown a commitment to diversity and inclusion. The recipient shall have made a demonstrable positive impact on the lives of those with whom they interact.

Moore has had an impact on the Big Ten Conference at all levels, playing on the Wisconsin basketball team from 1992-95, holding an assistant coaching role for the Badgers from 2006-10 and 2016-19 and serving as an analyst on the Big Ten Network. His impact extends far beyond basketball where his Moore Foundation was an extension of the way he lives his life: being selfless and putting others first. His career was tragically cut short in May of 2019 when an accident with a drunk driver claimed the lives of his wife and daughter and left him with life-altering disabilities.

The Big Ten also recognized 18 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The awards are voted on by conference coaches and a select media panel. The complete list of All-Conference honorees and individual award winners is below.
 
2025-26 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Big Ten Coaches
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan 

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Aday Mara, Michigan 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Keaton Wagler, Illinois 

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Braden Frager, Nebraska 

COACH OF THE YEAR
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska 

HOWARD MOORE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sharif Chambliss, Wisconsin

FIRST TEAM
Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Braden Smith, Purdue 

SECOND TEAM
Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Nick Boyd, Wisconsin 

THIRD TEAM
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Aday Mara, Michigan
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
Hannes Steinbach, Washington
John Blackwell, Wisconsin 

HONORABLE MENTION
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State
Cade Tyson, Minnesota
Sam Hoiberg, Nebraska
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Donovan Dent, UCLA 

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
David Mirkovic, Illinois
KEATON WAGLER, Illinois
Trey McKenney, Michigan
Braden Frager, Nebraska
Hannes Steinbach, Washington 

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Kylan Boswell, Illinois
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Aday Mara, Michigan
Sam Hoiberg, Nebraska 

2025-26 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Jake Davis, ILL; Conor Enright, IND; Bennett Stirtz, IOWA; Collin Metcalf, MD; Will Tschetter, MICH; Carson Cooper, MSU; Bobby Durkin, MINN; Rienk Mast, NEB; Nick Martinelli, NU; Bruce Thornton, OSU; Sean Stewart, ORE; Josh Reed, PSU; Liam Murphy, PUR; Jahmichael Davis, RU; Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA; Terrance Williams II, USC; Zoom Diallo, WASH; Isaac Gard, WIS.

 2025-26 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Media Voting Panel

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Keaton Wagler, Illinois

COACH OF THE YEAR
Dusty May, Michigan

FIRST TEAM
Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
YAXEL LENDEBORG, Michigan
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Braden Smith, Purdue 

SECOND TEAM
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Nick Boyd, Wisconsin 

THIRD TEAM
Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana
Aday Mara, Michigan
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
Hannes Steinbach, Washington
John Blackwell, Wisconsin 

HONORABLE MENTION
Kylan Boswell, Illinois
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State
Cade Tyson, Minnesota
Sam Hoiberg, Nebraska
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Tariq Francis, Rutgers
Donovan Dent, UCLA 

Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS

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