Big Ten Scores 6 Men's Basketball All-America Honors
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Six Big Ten men’s basketball student-athletes have collected All-America honors this week.
Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Purdue’s Braden Smtih have been named consensus First Team All-Americans, while Illinois’ Keaton Wagler garnered consensus Second Team honors, after collecting from the Associated Press (AP), National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Sporting News, and US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
Each outlet also included Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. on its list of All-Americans, while Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, and Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton also received All-America Honorable Mention.
This marks the 17th consecutive season that the Big Ten has boasted at least one consensus All-American.
Lendeborg, who was also named Big Ten Player of the Year, anchored the Wolverines with 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 blocked shots, and 1.2 steals per game, while helping Michigan win its 16th Big Ten title and a program record 31 victories.
This marks the second consecutive season with consensus All-America honors for Smith, who is averaging 14.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game. With 317 assists heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Purdue senior has already broken his own Big Ten single season assist mark and stands on the verge of breaking Bobby Hurley’s career assist mark.
Wagler has reset the Illinois freshman scoring marks, with 573 points on the season. His 17.9 points per game are on pace to break the Illini all-time freshman scoring average record set in 1993-94. The freshman has recorded nine 20-point games, one shy of the program freshman record, and scored in double-figures in each of the last 24 games and 29 times this season.
Fears, a redshirt sophomore, Fears leads Michigan State in scoring with 15.7 points per game and in assists, with 9.2 per game, which leads both the Big Ten and the nation. He ranks third in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (89.3%) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.13). He is the only player in the country averaging at least 15.0 points and 9.0 assists per game.
Stirtz currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20 points, including 18 20-point and three 30-point contests, to go along with 4.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He is currently the only player in the nation with at least 660 points, 145 assists, 80 three-pointers, 80 rebounds, and 45 steals.
Thornton, the Buckeyes’ only four-time captain, leads Ohio State with 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. One of just four players nationally to average 20 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, Thornton recently passed Dennis Hopson to become Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer.
Consensus All-America
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan – First Team
Braden Smith, Purdue – First Team
Keaton Wagler, Illinois – Second Team
Sporting News All-America
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan – First Team
Keaton Wagler, Illinois – Second Team
Braden Smith, Purdue – Second Team
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State – Third Team
USBWA All-America
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan – First Team
Braden Smith, Purdue – First Team
Keaton Wagler, Illinois – Second Team
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State – Third Team
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa – Honorable Mention
AP All-America
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan – First Team
Keaton Wagler, Illinois – Second Team
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State – Second Team
Braden Smtih, Purdue – Second Team
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa – Honorable Mention
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State – Honorable Mention
USBWA All-America
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan – First Team
Braden Smith, Purdue – First Team
Keaton Wagler, Illinois – Second Team
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State – Third Team
Click here to view the complete list of 2025-26 AP All-America Teams .
Click here to view the complete list of 2025-26 NABC All-America honors .
Click here to view the complete list of 2025-26 Sporting News All-America honors .
Click here to view the complete list of 2025-26 USBWA All-America honors.