Predicting 2024-25 Big Ten basketball season awards, All-Conference teams

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The Big Ten regular season is over. Before postseason tournaments begin, it’s time to forecast the recipients of the conference’s notable accolades.

The Big Ten boasted talent from top to bottom this season, especially after welcoming former Pac-12 powers UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the conference. That depth of talent made for an entertaining campaign, as even the race for the final Big Ten Tournament spots carried drama.

One trend that became clear when forecasting the Big Ten postseason awards: numerous transfers rank among the conference’s best players. Wisconsin wing John Tonje, Michigan center Vladislav Goldin, and USC guard Desmond Claude headline that list. Another notable trend: many top selections are either fourth-year or fifth-year seniors. Our All-Big-Ten first and second teams included only two underclassmen. It’s clear that experience has become the norm in the transfer portal era of college basketball.

With that said, here are our selections for the Big Ten’s top accolades and awards, including Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, plus All-Big Ten, All-Freshman, and All-Defense teams. The Big Ten will announce the official recipients of these awards on Tuesday afternoon.

First Team All-Big Ten

MADISON, WISCONSIN – MARCH 08: John Tonje #9 of the Wisconsin Badgers works out before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Kohl Center on March 08, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Braden Smith, Purdue

John Tonje, Wisconsin

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue

Derik Queen, Maryland

Vladislav Goldin, Michigan

These are the conference’s five best players, each leading potential March Madness contenders. Braden Smith, who will be mentioned again shortly, stood out as a player that excels in all aspects of the game. John Tonje was huge for the Badgers, helping them overcome a measured preseason ranking and projection. Lastly, Derik Queen was a big part of why…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/predicting-2024-25-big-ten-205350375.html

Author : Badgers Wire

Publish date : 2025-03-10 20:53:00

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