Big Ten Announces 2025 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 2024-25season. Due to ties, a total of 20 student-athletes were selected to the All-Big Ten teams by the coaches and the media. Additionally, 14student-athletes were awarded honorable mention status.
Purdue’s Braden Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the media. Smith joins Zach Edey as the Boilermakers third consecutive Big Ten Player of the Year and earns Purdue’s seventh Player of the Year award.
Smith enters the postseason ranked second on the team with 16.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, while his 8.8 assists lead the conference and rank second in the country. With 506 points, 272 assists, 145 rebounds and 70 steals on the season, Smith becomes the fourth player in NCAA history to have at least 500 points, 270 assists, 140 rebounds and 70 steals in a season joining BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth, California’s Jason Kidd, and Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson.
Penn State’s Ace Baldwin Jr. was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, becoming the first repeat winner since Purdue’s Kenneth Lowe in 2003 and 2004. One of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist in February, Baldwin ranks 10th in the country with 2.37 steals per game, while his 71 total steals are good for 15th.
Maryland’s Derik Queen was selected as Freshman of the Year honors by both the coaches and the media. Queen becomes the third Terps’ freshman named the league’s top rookie and the first since Joe Smith was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 1994. Queen leads Maryland with 15.7 points and1.0 blocked shots, while his 9.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals rank second. Queen is also second in the Big Ten and 18th in Division I with 13 double-doubles on the season.
Illinois freshman Will Riley earned Sixth Man of the Year accolades, joining Andre Curbelo (2021) as Illini Sixth Men of the Year. Riley paired 12.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 31 contests. Riley exploded on the scene with 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting in his collegiate debut, a win over Eastern Illinois. Since then, Riley has scored in double figures 18times, including 10 of Illinois’ final 11 regular season games.
Both the coaches and media selected Michigan State’s Tom Izzo as Coach of the Year. This is the fourth Big Ten Coach of the Yeah honor for Izzo, who led the Spartans to a 26-5 record, including 17-3 in the Big Ten. Izzo led Michigan State to its 17th Big Ten championship, including 11 under Izzo, while extending his conference wins record to 360.
Michigan State Associate Head Coach Doug Wojcik is this year’s recipient of the Howard Moore Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Now in his seventh season on the Spartans’ bench, Wojcik has helped Michigan State to three Big Ten championships, one Big Ten Tournament title and the 2019 Final Four.
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.
2023-24 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Big Ten Coaches
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Braden Smith, Purdue
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Derik Queen, Maryland
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Will Riley, Illinois
CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
HOWARD MOORE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Doug Wojcik, Michigan State
FIRST TEAM
Derik Queen, Maryland
Brice Williams, Nebraska
TREY KAUFMAN-RENN, Purdue
BRADEN SMITH, Purdue
JOHN TONJE, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM
Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
Danny Wolf, Michigan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
THIRD TEAM*
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland
Jaden Akins, Michigan State
Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
HONORABLE MENTION
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Julian Reese, Maryland
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
DERIK QUEEN, Maryland
Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Jaden Akins, Michigan State
TJ Bamba, Oregon
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Kobe Johnson, UCLA
2024-25 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Ben Humrichous, ILL; Anthony Leal, IND, Ladji Dembele, IOWA; Selton Miguel, MD; Nimari Burnett, MICH; Nick Sanders, MSU; Kadyn Betts, MINN; Rollie Worster, NEB; Brooks Barnhizer, NU; James Cooper, ORE; Kalen Etzler, OSU; Puff Johnson, PSU; Caleb Furst, PUR; Zach Martini, RU; Lazar Stefanovic, UCLA; Harrison Hornery, USC; Wilhelm Breidenbach, WASH; Markus Ilver, WIS.
2024-25 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Media Voting Panel
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Braden Smith, Purdue
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Derik Queen, Maryland
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
FIRST TEAM
Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
Brice Williams, Nebraska
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
BRADEN SMITH, Purdue
JOHN TONJE, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM
Derik Queen, Maryland
Danny Wolf, Michigan
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
THIRD TEAM
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland
Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
HONORABLE MENTION
Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
Malik Reneau, Indiana
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Julian Reese, Maryland
Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
Desmond Claude, USC
Great Osobor, Washington
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
*Additional honorees due to ties
The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, and the broad-based programs of the 18 Big Ten institutions provide direct financial support for more than 14,000student-athletes. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
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