With the start of the season rapidly approaching, UMHoops and Inside the Hall have partnered to bring you our annual preseason breakdown of the top players in the Big Ten for the 14th straight season.
The series is broken into five parts and we continue with our final installment of players 5-1 for the 2026-27 season: (Previously: 6-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40,)
5. Trey McKenney, Michigan (Guard, 6-foot-4, sophomore)
McKenney averaged 9.9 points in 22.1 minutes per game off the bench for the national champions last season. He was lethally efficient – 59 percent on twos, 39 percent on threes – and played more minutes as the stakes got higher in Michigan’s season, even knocking down the dagger 3-pointer in the national championship game.
Back for his sophomore year, the former McDonald’s All-American is set to step into a featured starting role and could be one of the conference’s best scorers. McKenney should lead Michigan in scoring this season and is one of the country’s most straightforward sophomore breakouts.
4. Elliot Cadeau, Michigan (Guard, 6-foot-1, senior)
Elliot Cadeau was one of the most questioned transfers in the country last season, but Dusty May’s gamble paid off. Cadeau was excellent all year for the Wolverines, getting everyone involved consistently and proving that he could make 3s (65-of-173). He’s excellent playing in transition and is one of the best passers in college basketball. When LJ Cason tore his ACL in February, Cadeau elevated his game and carried Michigan to the National Championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four.
Last year, Cadeau could just focus on distributing the ball to Michigan’s talented cast of pros. This year, he’ll need to score more often. His primary weakness last season was his 2-point scoring (45 percent) and that self-created scoring efficiency will drive the success of his senior year.
3. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska (Guard, 6-foot-7, senior)
After Fran McCaffery’s dismissal at Iowa, Sandfort found a perfect fit at Nebraska under Fred Hoiberg. The Huskers take and make a high volume of 3-pointers and emphasize floor spacing and movement, a system that perfectly fits his strengths.
Armed with a quick, efficient release and a shot as pure as any in the Big Ten, Sandfort averaged 18.1 points and shot 41.6 percent in his breakout junior season. That performance earned him first All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches. He was a major reason Nebraska had its best season in program history, winning an NCAA tournament game for the first time and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. He’s back for another year in Lincoln as one of the league’s top returning players and a strong candidate to repeat first-team All-Big Ten honors.
2. David Mirkovic, Illinois (Forward, 6-foot-9, sophomore)
Listed at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, Mirkovic is a unique player. He’s not overly athletic, but he can handle the ball, create for himself and his teammates, knock down 3s (37.5 percent), and rebound. His freshman-year production was elite, and he should be even better as a sophomore. If someone is going to challenge Jeremy Fears Jr. for the Big Ten player of the year award, Mirkovic is the most likely candidate.
Health is the biggest preseason concern. Mirkovic had surgery on his left foot in the offseason and is still ramping back up in the preseason. The Illini aren’t rushing him back, but it’s something to keep tabs on.
1.Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State (Guard, 6-foot-1, redshirt junior)
A near-consensus pick for preseason Big Ten player of the year, Fears averaged 15.2 points, nine assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals last season for the Spartans. Although his sometimes questionable actions on the court drew ire from opposing players and fan bases, he did seem to mature as the season went on. He avoided any controversy in the postseason as Michigan State won 27 games and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
What makes Fears elite as a college point guard is his ability to control the pace of a game and distribute the ball better than anyone else. He can play fast or run a deliberate half-court game when needed. His 53.1 percent assist rate led the country last season and he elevated a supporting cast that wasn’t overly talented to a second-place finish in the league standings.
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