Wikipedia

2025–26 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season

The 2025–26 Big Ten men's basketball season is for the Big Ten Conference in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The teams began practicing in October 2025, and started the season in November 2025. The regular season concluded on March 8, 2026.

2025–26 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season
LeagueNCAA Division I
SportBasketball
Teams18
TV partner(s)Big Ten Network, Fox, FS1, CBS, Peacock, NBC, NBCSN
2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Regular season championsMichigan
Season MVPYaxel Lendeborg
Top scorerNick Martinelli
Tournament
VenueUnited Center, Chicago, Illinois
ChampionsPurdue
  Runners-upMichigan
Basketball seasons
2025–26 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 1 Michigan19–1 .95037–3  .925
No. 14 Nebraska15–5 .75028–7  .800
No. 5 Illinois15–5 .75028–9  .757
No. 11 Michigan State15–5 .75027–8  .771
No. 25 Wisconsin14–6 .70024–11  .686
No. 6 Purdue †13–7 .65030–9  .769
UCLA13–7 .65024–12  .667
Ohio State12–8 .60021–13  .618
No. 15 Iowa10–10 .50024–13  .649
Indiana9–11 .45018–14  .563
Minnesota8–12 .40015–18  .455
USC7–13 .35018–14  .563
Washington7–13 .35016–17  .485
Rutgers6–14 .30014–20  .412
Northwestern5–15 .25015–19  .441
Oregon5–15 .25012–20  .375
Maryland4–16 .20012–21  .364
Penn State3–17 .15012–20  .375
† 2026 Big Ten tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

Purdue was the preseason AP and Coaches Poll No. 1 ranked team for the first time in school history.

On February 24, 2026, Michigan clinched at least a share of the regular season championship with a win against Minnesota.[1] On February 27, Michigan secured the outright Big Ten title against Illinois on the road. It was the Wolverines first regular season championship since 2021.[2] Michigan finished the regular season with a 19–1 record in the conference, setting a Big Ten record for the most wins while surpassing the 1974–75 and 1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers (18–0).[3]

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg was named Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. Michigan's head coach Dusty May (media) and Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg (coaches) were named the co-Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.[4]

The Big Ten tournament was held from March 10 through March 15 at United Center in Chicago. Purdue defeated the defending champions, Michigan, to win the tournament.[5]

Purdue received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. In addition, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, UCLA, and Wisconsin received at-large bids to the tournament. Through the Sweet Sixteen, the Big Ten had a combined 17–5 record and advanced four teams to the Elite Eight; Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Purdue. The SEC in 2025 is the only other conference in NCAA tournament history to do so.[6] Illinois won the South Region, and Michigan won the Midwest Region, as the Big Ten advanced two teams to the Final Four for the fourth time since 2000.[7] Michigan advanced to the national championship game, defeating UConn to win the Big Ten's first national title since Michigan State in 2000.[8]

Head coaches

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Coaching changes

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Indiana

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On February 8, 2025, the school announced that head coach Mike Woodson would not return as head coach.[9] On March 18, the school named West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries the team's new head coach.[10]

Iowa

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On March 14, 2025, the school fired head coach Fran McCaffery after 15 seasons. He finished with a 297–207 overall record with Iowa.[11][12] On March 24, the school named Drake head coach Ben McCollum the team's new coach.[13]

Maryland

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Following the season, head coach Kevin Willard left the team to take the head coaching position at Villanova.[14] On April 1, the school named Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams the team's new head coach.[15]

Minnesota

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On March 13, 2025, the school fired head coach Ben Johnson.[16] On March 24, the school named Colorado State head coach Niko Medved the team's new coach.[17]

Coaches

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Team Head coach Previous job Years at school Overall record Big Ten record Big Ten titles Big Ten tournament titles NCAA Tournaments NCAA Final Fours NCAA Championships
Illinois Brad Underwood Oklahoma State 9 165–101 (.620) 92–66 (.582) 1 2 5 0 0
Indiana Darian DeVries West Virginia 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0 0 0 0 0
Iowa Ben McCollum Drake 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0 0 0 0 0
Maryland Buzz Williams Texas A&M 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0 0 0 0 0
Michigan Dusty May Florida Atlantic 2 27–10 (.730) 14–6 (.700) 0 1 1 0 0
Michigan State Tom Izzo Michigan State (Asst.) 31 737–302 (.709) 361–173 (.676) 11 6 27 8 1
Minnesota Niko Medved Colorado State 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0 0 0 0 0
Nebraska Fred Hoiberg Chicago Bulls 7 84–108 (.438) 37–82 (.311) 0 0 1 0 0
Northwestern Chris Collins Duke (Asst.) 13 194–190 (.505) 87–142 (.380) 0 0 3 0 0
Ohio State Jake Diebler Ohio State (Assoc.) 3 25–18 (.581) 9–11 (.450) 0 0 0 0 0
Oregon Dana Altman Creighton 16 370–162 (.695) 12–8 (.600) 0 0 9 1 0
Penn State Mike Rhoades VCU 3 32–32 (.500) 15–25 (.375) 0 0 0 0 0
Purdue Matt Painter Purdue (Assoc.) 21 471–215 (.687) 238–129 (.649) 5 2 15 1 0
Rutgers Steve Pikiell Stony Brook 10 147–140 (.512) 71–105 (.403) 0 0 2 0 0
UCLA Mick Cronin Cincinnati 7 138–64 (.683) 13–7 (.650) 0 0 4 1 0
USC Eric Musselman Arkansas 2 17–18 (.486) 7–13 (.350) 0 0 0 0 0
Washington Danny Sprinkle Utah State 2 13–18 (.419) 4–16 (.200) 0 0 0 0 0
Wisconsin Greg Gard Wisconsin (Assoc.) 11 212–117 (.644) 117–77 (.603) 2 0 7 0 0

Notes:

  • All records, appearances, titles, etc. are from time as head coach with current school only.
  • Year at school includes 2025–26 season.
  • Overall and Big Ten records are from time as head coach at current school only and are through the beginning of the season.

Preseason

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Preseason Big Ten poll

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The Big Ten Media poll was released on October 7, 2025.[18]

Rank Team
1Purdue
2Michigan
3UCLA
4Illinois
5Oregon
6Michigan State
7Wisconsin
8Iowa
9Ohio State
10Indiana
11Washington
12USC
13Maryland
14Nebraska
15Northwestern
16Minnesota
17Rutgers
18Penn State

Preseason All-Big Ten

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A select media panel named a preseason All-Big Ten team and player of the year.[19]

Honor Recipient
Preseason Player of the Year Braden Smith, Purdue
Preseason All-Big Ten Team Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Nate Bittle, Oregon
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Braden Smith, Purdue
Donovan Dent, UCLA
John Blackwell, Wisconsin

Preseason national polls

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AP[20] Blue Ribbon
Yearbook[21]		 CBS Sports[22] Coaches[23] ESPN[24] FOX Sports[25] Lindy's
Sports[26]		 Sporting News[27] Sports Illustrated[28]
Illinois172024141620231315
Indiana
Iowa3125
Maryland
Michigan79878641111
Michigan State22162127182522
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio State38
Oregon251730
Penn State
Purdue124111225
Rutgers
UCLA121210121512161019
USC30
Washington
Wisconsin242126242021331823

Preseason watchlists

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Below is a table of notable preseason watch lists.

Player Wooden[29] Naismith[30] Naismith DPOY Robertson[31] Cousy[32] West[33] Erving[34] Malone[35] Abdul-Jabbar[36]
Chad Baker-Mazara, USC Green tick
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA Green tick
Nate Bittle, Oregon Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
John Blackwell, Wisconsin Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Kylan Boswell, Illinois Green tick
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan Green tick
Coen Carr, Michigan State Green tick
Oscar Cluff, Purdue Green tick
Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA Green tick
Donovan Dent, UCLA Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Tucker DeVries, Indiana Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Alvaro Folgueiras, Iowa Green tick
Tomislav Ivišić, Illinois Green tick Green tick Green tick
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue Green tick
Aday Mara, Michigan Green tick
Rienk Mast, Nebraska Green tick
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Rodney Rice, USC Green tick
Devin Royal, Ohio State Green tick
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon Green tick Green tick Green tick
Braden Smith, Purdue Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Andrej Stojaković, Illinois Green tick Green tick Green tick
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State Green tick Green tick Green tick Green tick
Wesley Yates III, Washington Green tick

Preseason All-American teams

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Player AP[37] CBS[38] USA Today[39] Sports Illustrated[40] SB Nation[41] Sporting News[42]
Braden Smith, Purdue 1st team 1st team 1st team 1st team 1st team 1st team
Yaxel Lendeborg , Michigan 1st team 2nd team 2nd team 2nd team 1st team 2nd team
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue 1st team 2nd team 2nd team 3rd team
Donovan Dent, UCLA 1st team 2nd team 1st team 2nd team
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa 2nd team 2nd team 3rd team

Regular season

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Rankings

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Legend
    Improvement in ranking
  Drop in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
(Italics) Number of first place votes
 Pre/
Wk 1		Wk
2		Wk
3		Wk
4		Wk
5		Wk
6		Wk
7		Wk
8		Wk
9		Wk
10		Wk
11		Wk
12		Wk
13		Wk
14		Wk
15		Wk
16		Wk
17		Wk
18		Wk
19		Wk
20		Final
Illinois AP 17 14 8 13 14 13 18 20 20* 16 13 11 9 5 8 10 10 11 9 13 5
C 14 14 8 14 15 13 18 19 19 16 13 11 10 6 7 10 11 11 9 12 5
Indiana AP RV RV RV 25 22 RV RV RV RV* RV
C RV 25 24 19T RV RV RV RV
Iowa AP RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 25* 19 RV RV RV RV RV RV 15
C RV RV RV RV 25 23 25 23 23 19 23 RV 25 RV 25 RV RV 19
Maryland AP *
C
Michigan AP 7 6 7 7 3 (15) 2 (19) 2 (15) 2 (19) 2 (19)* 2 (29) 4 3 3 2 2 1 (60) 3 3 3 (1) 3 1 (57)
C 7 5 6 6 2 (6) 1 (17) 1 (16) 1 (20) 1 (20) 1 (24) 3 (1) 2 2 2 2 (1) 1 (31) 3 3 3 3 1 (31)
Michigan State AP 22 17 17 11 7 9 9 9 9* 12 12 10 7 10 10 15 13 8 8 11 11
C 21 17 18 12 8 9 9 9 9 13 12 10 8 10 10 15 13 8 8 11 11
Minnesota AP *
C
Nebraska AP RV RV 23 15 13 13* 10 8 7 5 9 7 9 12 9 11 15 14
C RV RV 22 15 13 13 11 10 7 5 9 8 9 10 9 10 14 14
Northwestern AP *
C
Ohio State AP RV RV RV RV * RV RV RV RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV
Oregon AP RV RV RV RV *
C RV RV RV RV
Penn State AP *
C
Purdue AP 1 (35) 2 (36) 1 (44) 1 (46) 1 (40) 6 6 5 5* 5 5 4 12 12 13 7 8 15 18 8 6
C 1 (18) 1 (21) 1 (20) 1 (23) 1 (21) 6 6 5 6 5 5 4 12 12 12 7 8 14 18 13 7
Rutgers AP *
C
UCLA AP 12 15 19 18 RV 25 RV RV RV* RV RV RV RV
C 12 15 20 19 RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV
USC AP RV RV RV RV 24 24 24* RV RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 RV RV RV
Washington AP RV *
C RV
Wisconsin AP 24 24 23 RV RV RV RV * RV RV RV RV 24 RV RV 23 19 25
C 24 22 21 RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 RV RV 23 20 25

*AP did not release a week 9 poll.

Players of the week

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Throughout the conference regular season, the Big Ten offices will name one or two players of the week and one or two freshmen of the week each Monday.

Week Date Player of the week School Freshman of the week School
1[43] November 10, 2025 Tucker DeVries Indiana David Mirković Illinois
Bruce Thornton Ohio State
2[44] November 17, 2025 Braden Smith Purdue David Mirkovic (2)
3[45] November 24, 2025 Diggy Coit Maryland Braden Frager Nebraska
4[46] December 1, 2025 Yaxel Lendeborg Michigan Kayden Mingo Penn State
5[47] December 8, 2025 John Blackwell Wisconsin Hannes Steinbach Washington
6[48] December 15, 2025 Pryce Sandfort Nebraska Keaton Wagler Illinois
Lamar Wilkerson Indiana
7[49] December 22, 2025 Skyy Clark UCLA Braden Frager (2) Nebraska
Tariq Francis Rutgers
8 December 29, 2025 Not Awarded
9[50] January 5, 2026 Morez Johnson Jr. Michigan Keaton Wagler (2) Illinois
Braden Smith (2) Purdue Hannes Steinbach (2) Washington
10[51] January 12, 2026 Nick Boyd Wisconsin Keaton Wagler (3) Illinois
Braden Smith (3) Purdue
11[52] January 19, 2026 Diggy Coit (2) Maryland Braden Frager (3) Nebraska
John Blackwell (2) Wisconsin
12[53] January 26, 2026 Jeremy Fears Jr. Michigan State Keaton Wagler (4) Illinois
Keaton Wagler Illinois
13[54] February 2, 2026 Bennett Stirtz Iowa Keaton Wagler (5)
Jeremy Fears Jr. (2) Michigan State
14[55] February 9, 2026 Lamar Wilkerson (2) Indiana Alijah Arenas USC
Bennett Stirtz (2) Iowa
15[56] February 16, 2026 Nick Boyd (2) Wisconsin Keaton Wagler (6) Illinois
16[57] February 23, 2026 Bruce Thornton (2) Ohio State Andre Mills Maryland
17[58] March 2, 2026 Pryce Sandfort (2) Nebraska Hannes Steinbach (3) Washington
Nick Martinelli Northwestern
18[59] March 9, 2026 Bruce Thornton (3) Ohio State Hannes Steinbach (4) Washington

Early season tournaments

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Of the 18 Big Ten teams, 11 participated in early season bracketed tournaments.[60]

Team Tournament Finish
Iowa Acrisure Series (Classic) 1st
Maryland Players Era Festival Lost consolation game
Michigan Players Era Festival 1st
Minnesota Acrisure Series (Invitational) 4th
Nebraska Hall of Fame Classic 1st
Oregon Players Era Festival Lost consolation game
Purdue Bahamas Championship 1st
Rutgers Players Era Festival Won consolation game
USC Maui Invitational 1st
Washington Acrisure Series (Holiday Classic) 2nd
Wisconsin Rady Children's Invitational 2nd

Conference matrix

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This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. Each team played 20 conference games with at least one game against each opponent.

Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan St
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio St
Oregon
Penn St
Purdue
Rutgers
UCLA
USC
Washington
Wisconsin
vs. Illinois –0–10–10–21–01–00–11–10–20–10–10–10–10–11–00–10–11–0
vs. Indiana 1–0–1–00–11–01–01–11–01–01–00–10–11–10–10–11–00–10–1
vs. Iowa 1–00–1–1–11–01–01–01–10–10–10–11–02–00–10–10–10–11–0
vs. Maryland 2–01–01–1–1–01–00–11–01–01–01–00–11–02–01–01–00–11–0
vs. Michigan 0–10–10–10–1–0–20–10–10–10–20–10–20–10–10–10–10–1–0
vs. Michigan St 0–10–20–10–12–0–1–01–00–10–10–10–10–10–20–10–10–11–0
vs. Minnesota 1–01–10–11–01–00–1–1–00–21–00–11–01–00–10–11–01–02–0
vs. Nebraska 1–10–11–10–11–00–10–1–0–20–10–10–11–00–10–00–10–10–1
vs. Northwestern 2–00–11–00–11–01–02–02–0–1–00–10–11–01–02–00–11–01–0
vs. Ohio State 1–00–11–00–12–01–00–11–00–1–0–10–20–10–10–10–11–01–1
vs. Oregon 1–01–01–00–11–01–01–01–01–01–0–0–11–01–02–01–11–10–1
vs. Penn State 1–01–00–11–01–01–00–11–01–02–01–0–1–02–01–01–00–11–0
vs. Purdue 1–01–10–20–11–01–00–10–10–11–00–10–1–0–11–00–10–11–1
vs. Rutgers 1–01–01–00–11–02–01–01–00–11–00–10–21–0–1–01–01–01–0
vs. UCLA 0–11–01–00–11–01–01–00–10–11–00–20–10–10–1–0–20–21–0
vs. USC 1–00–11–00–11–01–00–11–01–01–01–10–11–00–12–0–2–00–1
vs. Washington 1–01–01–01–01–01–00–11–00–10–10–11–01–00–12–00–2–1–0
vs. Wisconsin 0–11–00–10–10–10–10–21–00–21–12–00–11–10–10–11–00–1–
Total 15–59–1110–104–1619–115–58–1215–55–1512–85–153–1713–76–1413–77–137–1314–6

Through March 2, 2026

All-Big Ten awards and teams

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On March 10, 2025, the Big Ten announced most of its conference awards.[4]

Honor Coaches Media
Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska Dusty May, Michigan
Freshman of the Year Keaton Wagler, Illinois Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Defensive Players of the Year Aday Mara, Michigan Not selected
Sixth Man of the Year Breden Frager, Nebraska Not selected
All-Big Ten First Team Keaton Wagler, Illinois Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Braden Smith, Purdue Braden Smith, Purdue
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
All-Big Ten Second Team Nick Martinelli, Northwestern Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Nick Boyd, Wisconsin Nick Boyd, Wisconsin
Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
All-Big Ten Third Team Aday Mara, Michigan Aday Mara, Michigan
Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA
Hannes Steinbach, Washington Hannes Steinbach, Washington
John Blackwell, Wisconsin John Blackwell, Wisconsin
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention David Mirkovic, Illinois David Mirkovic, Illinois
Cade Tyson, Minnesota Cade Tyson, Minnesota
Sam Hoiberg, Nebraska Sam Hoiberg, Nebraska
Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State
Donovan Dent, UCLA Donovan Dent, UCLA
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Rienk Mast, Nebraska Rienk Mast, Nebraska
Not selected Kylan Boswell, Illinois
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
Tariq Francis, Rutgers
All-Freshman Team Keaton Wagler, Illinois Not selected
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Trey McKenney, Michigan
Braden Frager, Nebraska
Hannes Steinbach, Washington
All-Defensive Team Aday Mara, Michigan Not selected
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Kylan Boswell, Illinois
Sam Hoiberg, Nebraska

Postseason

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Big Ten tournament

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First round
Tuesday, March 10
Peacock/NBCSN		Second round
Wednesday, March 11
Peacock/NBCSN/BTN		Third round
Thursday, March 12
BTN		Quarterfinals
Friday, March 13
BTN		Semifinals
Saturday, March 14
CBS		Championship
Sunday, March 15
CBS
13 Michigan71
8Ohio State728Ohio State67
9Iowa759Iowa6913 Michigan68
16Oregon6017Maryland64523 Wisconsin65
17Maryland7049 Illinois88
523 Wisconsin85523 Wisconsin91*
12Washington83*12Washington8213 Michigan72
13USC79718 Purdue80
211 Nebraska58
718 Purdue81718 Purdue74
10Indiana6115Northwestern68718 Purdue73
15Northwestern7615Northwestern746UCLA66
18Penn State6638 Michigan State84
6UCLA726UCLA88
11Minnesota6714Rutgers59
14Rutgers72

* denotes overtime period

Unlike the previous edition, the tournament has been expanded to include all 18 teams, occurring over six days instead of five.[61][62]

NCAA tournament

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Seed Region School First round Second round Sweet 16 Elite Eight Final Four Championship
1 Midwest Michigan W 101–80 vs. (16) Howard W 95–72 vs. (9) Saint Louis W 90–77 vs. (4) Alabama W 95–62 vs. (6) Tennessee W 91–73 vs. (W1) Arizona W 69–63 vs. (E2) UConn
2 West Purdue W 104–71 vs. (15) Queens W 79–69 vs. (7) Miami (FL) W 79–77 vs. (11) Texas L 64–79 vs. (1) Arizona DNP
3 South Illinois W 105–70 vs. (14) Penn W 76–55 vs. (11) VCU W 65–55 vs. (2) Houston W 71–59 vs. (9) Iowa L 62–71 vs. (E2) UConn DNP
3 East Michigan State W 92–67 vs. (14) North Dakota State W 77–69 vs. (6) Louisville L 63–67 vs. (2) UConn DNP
4 South Nebraska W 76–47 vs. (13) Troy W 74–72 vs. (5) Vanderbilt L 71–77 vs. (9) Iowa DNP
5 West Wisconsin L 82–83 vs. (12) High Point DNP
7 East UCLA W 75–71 vs. (10) UCF L 57–73 vs. (2) UConn DNP
8 East Ohio State L 64–66 vs. (9) TCU DNP
9 South Iowa W 67–61 vs. (8) Clemson W 73–72 vs. (1) Florida W 77–71 vs. (4) Nebraska L 59–71 vs. (3) Illinois DNP
W–L (%): 7–2 (.778) 6–1 (.857) 4–2 (.667) 2–2 (.500) 1–1 (.500) 1–0 (1.000)
Total: 21–8 (.724)

CBC

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School Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Minnesota L 48–67 vs. Baylor DNP
Rutgers L 69–82 vs. Creighton DNP
W-L (%): 0–2 (.000) 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–)
Total: 0–2 (.000)

NIT

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No Big Ten teams participated in 2026.

NBA draft

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PGPoint guard SGShooting guard SFSmall forward PFPower forward CCenter
Rnd. Pick Player Pos. Nationality[n 1] Team School / club team
1 5 Keaton Wagler SG/PG  United States Los Angeles Clippers (from Indiana)[A] Illinois (Fr.)
1 9 Morez Johnson Jr. PF/C  United States Dallas Mavericks Michigan (So.)
1 11 Yaxel Lendeborg PF  Dominican Republic
 United States		 Golden State Warriors Michigan (Sr.)
1 12 Aday Mara C  Spain Oklahoma City Thunder (from L.A. Clippers)[B] Michigan (Jr.)
1 14 Hannes Steinbach PF  Germany Charlotte Hornets Washington (Fr.)
1 16 Bennett Stirtz PG  United States Memphis Grizzlies (from Phoenix via Orlando,[C] traded to Oklahoma City)[a] Iowa (Sr.)
2 31 Bruce Thornton PG  United States New York Knicks (from Washington via Oklahoma City and Houston,[D] traded to Houston)[b] Ohio State (Sr.)
2 38 Braden Smith PG  United States Chicago Bulls (from New Orleans via Boston, Detroit, and Portland,[E] traded to Indiana)[c] Purdue (Sr.)
2 43 Tyler Bilodeau PF  United States Brooklyn Nets (from LA Clippers via Houston)[F] UCLA (Sr.)
2 55 Nick Martinelli SF  United States New York Knicks (traded to L.A. Clippers)[b] Northwestern (Sr.)
2 59 Trey Kaufman-Renn PF  United States Minnesota Timberwolves (from San Antonio via Indiana)[G] Purdue (Sr.)

Pre-draft trades

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Prior to the draft, the following trades were made and resulted in exchanges of draft picks between teams.

  1. ↑ February 5, 2026: Indiana Pacers to Los Angeles Clippers[63]
  2. ↑ July 10, 2019: Los Angeles Clippers to Oklahoma City Thunder[64]
  3. ↑ July 17, 2023: Phoenix Suns to Orlando Magic[65]
    • Orlando acquired 2026 first-round pick swap
    • Phoenix acquired 2024 DEN second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, and 2028 BOS protected second-round pick
    June 27, 2025: Orlando Magic to Memphis Grizzlies[66]
  4. ↑ December 2, 2020: Washington Wizards to Houston Rockets[68] July 30, 2021: Houston Rockets to Oklahoma City Thunder[69]
    • Houston acquired draft rights to Alperen Şengün
    • Oklahoma City acquired 2026 and 2027 WAS second-round picks
    June 24, 2022: Oklahoma City Thunder to New York Knicks[70]
    • Oklahoma City acquired draft rights to Ousmane Dieng
    • New York acquired 2023 DEN and DET protected first-round picks, 2026 and 2027 WAS second-round picks
  5. ↑ November 27, 2020: New Orleans Pelicans to Portland Trail Blazers[73] July 6, 2022: Portland Trail Blazers to Detroit Pistons[74] June 28, 2023: Detroit Pistons to Boston Celtics[75]
    • Detroit acquired draft rights to Marcus Sasser
    • Boston acquired draft rights to James Nnaji, 2025 and 2026 second-round picks
    February 5, 2026: Boston Celtics to Chicago Bulls[76]
  6. ↑ February 9, 2023: Los Angeles Clippers to Houston Rockets (three-team trade with Memphis)[78] July 6, 2025: Houston Rockets to Brooklyn Nets (seven-team trade with Phoenix, Atlanta, Golden State, Minnesota, L.A. Lakers)[79]
  7. ↑ July 6, 2019: Miami Heat to Indiana Pacers (three-team trade with Phoenix)[80][81][82]
    • Indiana acquired TJ Warren, 2022, 2025, and 2026 MIA second-round picks
    • Miami acquired 2019 PHX second-round pick
    • Phoenix acquired cash considerations
    August 8, 2021: Indiana Pacers to San Antonio Spurs[83]
    • San Antonio acquired Doug McDermott, 2023 second-round pick, and 2026 second-round pick swap
    • Indiana acquired 2023 second-round pick
    June 23, 2022: Indiana Pacers to Minnesota Timberwolves[84]
    • Minnesota acquired 2026 SAS second-round pick
    • Indiana acquired Kendall Brown

Post-draft trades

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Post-draft trades are made after the draft begins. These trades are usually not confirmed until the next day or after free agency officially begins.

  1. ↑ June 23, 2026: Memphis Grizzlies to Oklahoma City Thunder[67]
    • Memphis acquired draft rights to Ebuka Okorie (No. 17 pick) and two second-round picks
    • Oklahoma City acquired draft rights to Bennett Stirtz (No. 16 pick)
  2. 1 2 June 24, 2026: New York Knicks to Houston Rockets (four-team trade with Detroit and L.A. Clippers)[71][72]
    • Houston acquired the draft rights to Bruce Thornton (No. 31 pick) and cash considerations
    • New York acquired the draft rights to Jack Kayil (No. 39 pick) and Mojave King, 2029 SAC second-round pick, and cash considerations
    • Detroit acquired the draft rights to Ugonna Onyenso (No. 53 pick)
    • L.A. Clippers acquired the draft rights to Nick Martinelli (No. 55 pick)
  3. ↑ June 24, 2026: Chicago Bulls to Indiana Pacers[77]
    • Indiana acquired draft rights to Braden Smith (No. 38 pick)
    • Chicago acquired Kam Jones, two future second-round pick swaps, and cash considerations

Notes

edit
  1. ↑ Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules.

References

edit
  1. ↑ "No. 3 Michigan beats Minnesota 77-67, clinches at least share of 1st Big Ten title since 2021". CBS Sports. February 24, 2026.
  2. ↑ Brandon Carr (February 27, 2026). "Michigan basketball pops champagne after clinching Big Ten title outright with victory vs. Illinois". ClickOnDetroit.
  3. ↑ Tony Garcia (March 8, 2026). "Yaxel Lendeborg lifts Michigan basketball over Michigan State". Detroit Free Press.
  4. 1 2 "Big Ten Announces 2026 Men's Basketball Postseason Honors". Big Ten Conference. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  5. ↑ Backstrom, Andy (March 16, 2026). "No. 18 Purdue engineers upset in Big Ten final, denies No. 3 Michigan back-to-back conference tourney titles". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ Dochterman, Scott (March 28, 2026). "Four Big Ten teams make Elite Eight, tying men's NCAA Tournament record for single league". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  7. ↑ Greenberg, Steve (March 29, 2026). "Illinois, Michigan give Big Ten two shots at ending quarter-century-long title drought. Is this the year?". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ Borzello, Jeff (April 6, 2026). "Michigan holds off UConn to win second NCAA hoops title". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Indiana coach Mike Woodson won't return next season". NBC Sports. February 8, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Indiana hires Darian DeVries: Will replace Mike Woodson after one season as West Virginia's coach". CBSSports.com. March 18, 2025. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Iowa fires Fran McCaffery: Longtime coach out after Hawkeyes miss NCAA Tournament for second straight season". CBSSports.com. March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Sources: Iowa set to dismiss coach McCaffery". ESPN.com. March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Iowa hires Drake's McCollum as hoops coach". ESPN.com. March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Kevin Willard leaves Maryland for Villanova in messy departure following Terrapins' Sweet 16 run". CBSSports.com. March 30, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Maryland hires Buzz Williams: Terps poach Texas A&M coach to replace Kevin Willard after controversial exit". CBSSports.com. April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Minnesota fires Johnson after 4 years as coach". ESPN.com. March 13, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  17. ↑ Hamilton, Brian (March 24, 2025). "Minnesota hiring Colorado State's Niko Medved as next men's basketball coach". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  18. ↑ Burkhardt, Dylan (October 8, 2025). "Michigan picked 2nd in "official unofficial" Big Ten poll (and a breakdown of my ballot)". UM Hoops.com. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Big Ten basketball preseason media poll 2025-26: Purdue, Michigan State overrated; Indiana underrated". CBS Sports. October 9, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  20. ↑ "NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll". AP News. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook releases its preseason Top 25".
  22. ↑ "College basketball rankings: North Carolina joins Top 25 And 1 after late addition of international prospect".
  23. ↑ "NCAA Men's College Basketball Coaches Poll | USA Today Sports". USA TODAY. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  24. ↑ "How NBA draft withdrawal moved our early NCAA top 25 rankings".
  25. ↑ "College basketball rankings: UConn, St. John's surge in way-too-early Top 25".
  26. ↑ "IU basketball picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten by Lindy's Sports".
  27. ↑ "College basketball rankings 2025-26: Houston, Purdue, Florida lead Sporting News preseason Top 25 | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. November 3, 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Men's College Basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25: Houston No. 1 After Rosters Settle".
  29. ↑ "Wooden Award Marks 50 Years with 2025-26 Men's Preseason Top 50 Watchlist Announcement - John R. Wooden Award". www.woodenaward.com. November 18, 2025. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  30. ↑ "2025-26 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List Presented by AXIA Time". Naismith Awards®. November 3, 2025. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  31. ↑ "USBWA unveils 2025-26 Oscar Robertson Trophy preseason watch list". usbwa.com. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  32. ↑ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2026 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S POINT GUARD OF THE YEAR AWARDS". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Jerry West :: Hoophall Awards". www.hoophallawards.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Julius Erving :: Hoophall Awards". www.hoophallawards.com. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  35. ↑ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES THE PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2025 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S POWER FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARDS". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  36. ↑ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES THE PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2026 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CENTER OF THE YEAR AWARD". www.hoophall.com. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Purdue's Braden Smith unanimous AP preseason All-American". ESPN. Associated Press. October 20, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  38. ↑ Parrish, Gary; Boone, Kyle; Trotter, Isaac (October 21, 2025). "2025-26 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Teams: Purdue, Big Ten lead way with college basketball's top players". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  39. ↑ Myerberg, Paul (October 29, 2025). "Braden Smith, JT Toppin lead USA TODAY Sports college basketball All-America team". USA Today. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  40. ↑ Sweeney, Kevin (October 29, 2025). "Sports Illustrated's 2025–26 College Basketball Preseason All-Americans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  41. ↑ Rutherford, Mike (October 28, 2025). "Meet our college basketball preseason All-America teams for men's 2025-26 season". SB Nation. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  42. ↑ DeCourcy, Mike (November 10, 2025). "Sporting News 2025-26 college basketball preseason All-America team: Purdue's Braden Smith leads the way". Sporting News. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Indiana, Ohio State, and Illinois Score Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". November 10, 2025.
  44. ↑ "Purdue and Illinois Collect Score Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". November 17, 2025.
  45. ↑ "Maryland and Nebraska Score Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". November 24, 2025.
  46. ↑ "Michigan and Penn State Score Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". December 1, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Wisconsin and Washington Garner Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". December 8, 2025.
  48. ↑ "Big Ten Conference". Big Ten Conference. December 15, 2025.
  49. ↑ "Rutgers, UCLA, and Nebraska Garner Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. December 22, 2025.
  50. ↑ "Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, and Washington Garner Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. January 5, 2026.
  51. ↑ "Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin Collect Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. January 12, 2026.
  52. ↑ "Maryland, Nebraska, and Wisconsin Garner Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. January 19, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Illinois and Michigan State Score Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. January 26, 2026.
  54. ↑ "Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan State Score Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. February 2, 2026.
  55. ↑ "Indiana, Iowa, and USC Garner Men's Basketball Weekly Laurels". Big Ten Conference. February 9, 2026.
  56. ↑ "Wisconsin and Illinois Claim Men's Basketball Weekly Laurels". Big Ten Conference. February 16, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Ohio State and Maryland Score Men's Basketball Weekly Laurels". Big Ten Conference. February 23, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Nebraska, Northwestern, Washington Score Men's Basketball Weekly Awards". Big Ten Conference. March 2, 2026.
  59. ↑ "Ohio State and Washington Garner Men's Basketball Weekly Laurels". Big Ten Conference. March 9, 2026.
  60. ↑ Dobbertean, Chris (June 28, 2025). "2025-26 Men's College Basketball Exempt Multi-Team Event (MTE) Tracker". SB Nation. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  61. ↑ "Big Ten Announces 2025-26 Men's Basketball Conference Schedule". Big Ten Conference. September 18, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  62. ↑ Salerno, Cameron (September 18, 2025). "Big Ten tournament to feature all 18 teams this season after only having 15 teams qualify in 2025". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  63. ↑ "Indiana Pacers Acquire Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown from Los Angeles Clippers". NBA.com. February 5, 2026. Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  64. ↑ "L.A. Clippers Acquire Six-Time NBA All-Star Paul George" (Press release). Los Angeles Clippers. July 10, 2019. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  65. ↑ "Orlando Magic Acquire Right to First Round Draft Pick Swap From Phoenix". NBA.com. July 17, 2023. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  66. ↑ "Magic add Desmond Bane in trade with Grizzlies". NBA.com. June 27, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  67. ↑ "Thunder Selects Aday Mara and Acquires Draft Rights to Bennett Stirtz in the 2026 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 23, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  68. ↑ "Rockets Acquire Five-Time All-Star John Wall". NBA.com. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  69. ↑ Suarez, Paul (July 30, 2021). "Rockets Acquire Four Players in 2021 NBA Draft". NBA.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  70. ↑ "Thunder Drafts Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams in the 2022 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  71. ↑ "Rockets Acquire Bruce Thornton in 2026 NBA Draft". NBA.com. July 30, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  72. ↑ "Knicks open Round 2 of 2026 Draft with swap of No. 31 overall". NBA.com. July 30, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  73. ↑ "Trail Blazers complete trade with New Orleans". NBA.com. February 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  74. ↑ "Detroit Pistons Acquire Rights to Gabriele Procida, No. 36 Pick in 2022 NBA Draft, and Future Draft Considerations From Portland Trail Blazers in Exchange for Jerami Grant and Rights to No. 46 Selection, Ismael Kamagate". NBA.com. July 6, 2022. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  75. ↑ "Boston Celtics Complete Trades". NBA.com. June 28, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  76. ↑ "CHICAGO BULLS ACQUIRE ANFERNEE SIMONS AND SECOND-ROUND PICK". NBA.com. February 5, 2026. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  77. ↑ Hotchkiss, Wheat (June 24, 2026). "Pacers Acquire Draft Rights to Braden Smith". NBA.com. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  78. ↑ "Clippers add Eric Gordon; John Wall to Rockets". NBA.com. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  79. ↑ "Kevin Durant traded to Rockets as part of historic 7-team deal". NBA.com. July 6, 2025. Archived from the original on September 29, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  80. ↑ "Report: Suns trade T.J. Warren, No. 32 pick to Pacers". NBA.com. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  81. ↑ "Heat trades for early second-round pick to take Stanford's KZ Okpala". Miami Herald. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  82. ↑ "HEAT Acquire The Draft Rights To KZ Okpala". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  83. ↑ "Pacers Complete Trade with Spurs". NBA.com. August 8, 2021. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  84. ↑ "Timberwolves Acquire Future Pick and Cash Considerations from Indiana". NBA.com. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
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