ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Teams and individual award winners for the 2023-24 season. Due to ties, a total of 18 student-athletes were selected to the All-Big Ten teams by the coaches and the media. Additionally, 24 student-athletes were awarded honorable mention status.
Purdue’s Zach Edey was named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the media for the second consecutive year. Edey joins Luke Garza (2020, 2021), Michigan State’s Mateen Cleaves (1998, 1999), and Ohio State’s Jim Jackson (1991, 1992) as back-to-back players of the year. Edey led the Big Ten this season in scoring (24.2), rebounding (11.7) and field goal percentage (49.0 percent), marking the second straight year he has paced the league in those categories. Edey is also the only player in Big Ten history to have a 700-point, 350-rebound season, and he has two of them.
Penn State’s Ace Baldwin Jr. was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. One of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist in February, Baldwin led the Big Ten and ranked fourth in the country in steals (84) and fifth in the country in steals per game (2.71). His 2.71 steals per game tracks to be the most by a Big Ten player in a single season since Northwestern’s Pat Baldwin recorded 2.96 steals per game in 1993.
Indiana’s Mackenzie Mgbako and Iowa’s Owen Freeman shared Freshman of the Year honors from the coaches, while Freeman collected the accolade from the media. Mgbako averaged 12.6 points per game and led the Hoosiers with 49 three-pointers on the season. A nine-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Freeman averaged 10.6 points per game and a team-high 6.5 rebounds, while leading the Hawkeyes with 56 blocked shots.
Purdue’s Mason Gillis earned Sixth Man of the Year accolades after pairing 7.0 points and 3.8 rebounds, while appearing in all 31 games off the bench. Gillis shot 49.0 percent (48-98) from three-point range, connecting on multiple threes in 18 games.
Both the coaches and media selected Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg and Purdue’s Matt Painter as Co-Coaches of the Year. Hoiberg led the Huskers to a 22-9 record and the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, matching their best conference finish since 1992-93. Painter’s Boilermakers claimed their second consecutive Big Ten Championship, posted a school-record 17 conference wins, and were ranked in the top four in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls for the entire season.
Purdue’s Brandon Brantley is this year’s recipient of the Howard Moore Assistant Coach of the Year Award. In his 11th season with the Boilermakers, Brantley works primarily with the team’s big men, including Edey, the reigning National Player of the Year. During his time as a student-athlete at Purdue, Brantley competed on three NCAA Tournament teams (1994-96), one NIT Tournament squad (1992), and ranks seventh on the program’s career blocks list with 114.
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 14 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
Zach Edey, Purdue
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana
Owen Freeman, Iowa
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Mason Gillis, Purdue
CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Matt Painter, Purdue
HOWARD MOORE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Brandon Brantley, Purdue
FIRST TEAM
Marcus Domask, Illinois
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
BOO BUIE, Northwestern
ZACH EDEY, Purdue
Braden Smith, Purdue
SECOND TEAM
Tony Perkins, Iowa
Jahmir Young, Maryland
Tyson Walker, Michigan State
Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska
AJ Storr, Wisconsin
THIRD TEAM*
Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
Ace Baldwin, Jr., Penn State
HONORABLE MENTION
Coleman Hawkins, Illinois
Malik Reneau, Indiana
Owen Freeman, Iowa
Donta Scott, Maryland
Julian Reese, Maryland
Malik Hall, Michigan State
A.J. Hoggard, Michigan State
Elijah Hawkins, Minnesota
Jamison Battle, Ohio State
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Zach Hicks, Penn State
Nick Kern Jr., Penn State
Qudus Wahab, Penn State
Mason Gillis, Purdue
Lance Jones, Purdue
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers
Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin
Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana
Owen Freeman, Iowa
DeShawn Harris-Smith, Maryland
Cam Christie, Minnesota
John Blackwell, Wisconsin
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM*
Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Zach Edey, Purdue
Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers
Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin
2022-23 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Quincy Guerrier, Illinois; Trey Galloway, Indiana; Ben Krikke, Iowa; Jahmir Young, Maryland; Will Tschetter, Michigan; Davis Smith, Michigan State; Parker Fox, Minnesota; Josiah Allick, Nebraska; Ty Berry, Northwestern; Owen Spencer, Ohio State; Puff Johnson, Penn State; Chase Martin, Purdue; Oskar Palmquist, Rutgers; Chris Hodges, Wisconsin.
2023-24 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Media Voting Panel
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ZACH EDEY, Purdue
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Owen Freeman, Iowa
COACH OF THE YEAR
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Matt Painter, Purdue
FIRST TEAM
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
Jahmir Young, Maryland
BOO BUIE, Northwestern
ZACH EDEY, Purdue
Braden Smith, Purdue
SECOND TEAM
Marcus Domask, Illinois
Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Tyson Walker, Michigan State
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
AJ Storr, Wisconsin
THIRD TEAM
Coleman Hawkins, Illinois
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
HONORABLE MENTION
Malik Reneau, Indiana
Josh Dix, Iowa
Owen Freeman, Iowa
Ben Krikke, Iowa
Tony Perkins, Iowa
Julian Reese, Maryland
Malik Hall, Michigan State
A.J. Hoggard, Michigan State
Elijah Hawkins, Minnesota
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern
Jamison Battle, Ohio State
Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers
Lance Jones, Purdue
Fletcher Loyer, Purdue
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
*Additional honorees due to ties
BIG TEN ANNOUNCES 2024 MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON HONORS
