IU basketball was shut out of the Big Ten’s three All-Conference teams and the All-defensive team announced on Tuesday.
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo was named the 2025 Coach of the Year, and Purdue’s Braden Smith the Player of the Year.
Three Hoosiers did receive recognition, however. Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau were named honorable mention All-Big Ten, and Anthony Leal won sportsmanship recognition.
Releases from both IU and the Big Ten regarding all of the league’s 2025 All-Conference honors are below.
RELEASE FROM IU ATHLETICS:
Indiana sixth-year center Oumar Ballo, junior forward Malik Reneau, and fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal were honored by the Big Ten Conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Ballo earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten status as voted on by the conference head coaches and select media members. He adds to his decorated history of all-conference accolades, which includes two All-Pac-12 First Team nods, two Pac-12 All-Tournament Team selections, a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honor, and a Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year trophy. The Arizona transfer closed the season with team highs in points per game (13.2), rebounds (9.1), and blocks (1.3). He also averaged a career-best 2.1 assists per night and shot 63.5% (153-of-241) from the floor. Ballo produced 10 double-doubles, nine multi-block games, and three games with five or more assists.
Despite missing the better part of seven games with injury and illness, Reneau was voted to the Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Team for the second-straight season by the media. The Miami, Fla., native averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per outing. He shot 55.3% (131-of-237) from the floor and 72.4% (63-of-87) from the free throw line. Reneau tallied double-figure scoring outputs in 18-of-25 games played, added 15-plus in 12 contests, and recorded three 20-point nights. The Hoosiers racked up a 10-2 record in games in which the lefty posted at least 15 points.
Leal was listed among the 2024-25 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Sportsmanship Award Honorees. He appeared in 25 games with starts in his final 13 appearances. Leal averaged 3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.2 stocks (steals+blocks) in his 13 starts. The Bloomington native recorded at least one steal or block in 16 games with 11 multi-stock performances. The Hoosiers posted a record of 6-3 in Big Ten Conference games when Leal played at least 25 minutes, which included road wins over Ohio State and at Michigan State, and a home victory over in-state rival Purdue.
Indiana will begin postseason play in the second round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament against No. 23/RV Oregon at noon ET on March 13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be available on BTN.
FULL BIG TEN RELEASE:
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
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