Michigan graduate transfer Yaxel Lendeborg was named to the ten-man Preseason All-Big Ten Team today. The
Lendeborg is one of the top-rated transfers in the country and averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last season at UAB.
Purdue guard Braden Smith was the only unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten selection and was named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.
Here’s the full ten-man Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten Team
Bennett Stirtz, Sr., G, Iowa
Yaxel Lendeborg, Grad., F, Michigan
Nick Martinelli, Sr., F, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Sr., G, Ohio State
Nate Bittle, Sr., C, Oregon
Jackson Shelstad, Jr., G, Oregon
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Sr., F, Purdue
BRADEN SMITH, Sr., G, Purdue
Donovan Dent, Sr., G, UCLA
John Blackwell, Jr., G, Wisconsin
2025-26 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Braden Smith, Purdue
Unanimous selection listed in ALL CAPS
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umhoops
Preseason All-Big Ten team matches our Big Ten Top 25 (and my ballot) exactly. Not sure whether that is good or bad.
adamsmit86
Lol Braden was the only unanimous selection on a ten man All-Big Ten team. You’d think there would be a couple more on a ten man team. Even TKR who is a returning First Team player wasn’t unanimous. I’m fascinated by the goofballs who do goofy things with their selections
umhoops
There have to be a couple of really off the wall ballots. I don’t get how there could only be one guy on all ten when I feel like the ten picks were pretty obvious.
Only potential “snub” is Tomi, who I would have had 11th.
Guest
Seeing MSU players not listed brings tears to my eyes.
BurgerBoy82
MSU didn’t have any players listed last year either.