The Naismith Award is given out annually to the best player in college basketball. Before the season, a watchlist of 50 players is announced. This season, ten Big Ten players made the watchlist for the award.
10 Big Ten Players Named to Naismith Award Watchlist
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
One of the first names announced is Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey. The athletic forward was the second overall recruit in the 2024 high school class. Bailey is expected to be the number-one scoring option for Rutgers this season. It has been half a decade since a freshman won it after Zion Williamson earned the award in 2019. But, if Bailey can adjust to the college game quickly, he will certainly be in the running for the award.
Ace Baldwin, Penn State
Last season, Ace Baldwin followed head coach Mike Rhoades from VCU to Penn State. In Happy Valley, Baldwin averaged over 14 points per game and was an all-conference selection in the Big Ten. Baldwin has the ability to win the award, but his team may be holding him back. Penn State is supposed to regress this season and will likely miss the NCAA Tournament. It would be unlikely for the player of the year to come from a team that misses March Madness. But, if his numbers are good enough there is an outside chance he can take home the prize.
Oumar Ballo, Arizona
Indiana brought in a ton of talent via the transfer portal this offseason including Oumar Ballo from Arizona. Last season, Ballo was an important piece for the Wildcats. He averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds on his way to an all-conference selection. Mike Woodson has been able to develop incredible big men during his time at Indiana. Ballo’s natural skills mixed with Woodson’s ability to develop could result in Ballo becoming one of the best players in the country. If Indiana wins the Big Ten, I would look at Ballo as a strong possibility of winning the Naismith Award.
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
During his time as a Golden Gopher, Dawson Garcia has developed into one of the best players in the Big Ten. Last year he averaged 17.6 points per game by shooting an efficient 48% from the field, which led to him becoming an all-conference selection. However, Garcia shares a similar problem to the previously-mentioned Ace Baldwin; his team. Minnesota will likely finish toward the bottom of the Big Ten once again this season. No matter how good Garcia’s numbers are, winning the award will be hard for him if his team has no success.
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
The second Rutgers player on the list is Dylan Harper. The dynamic duo of Harper and Bailey should be incredible for Rutgers. Harper is more of a guard and will be the main ballhandler for the team. This will likely cut into some of his scoring numbers, which may impede his ability to win Player of the Year. However, if he can stuff the stat sheet, he may have an outside chance to win.
Great Osobor, Washington
After successful stints at Montana State and Utah State, Great Osobor is following his head coach, Danny Sprinkle, to Washington. Over the past few seasons, Sprinkle has crafted some of the best offenses in all of college. He is hoping to continue this in the Big Ten. Osobor has been a tremendous player, but it may be hard for him to see the same production in a more physical league, especially when he is not a threat to shoot from deep.
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Payton Sandfort is one of the more underrated players in the Big Ten. He is a great athlete and can score at all three levels. Unfortunately, he is relatively unknown due to Iowa’s lackluster performances over the past few seasons. He is going to put up great numbers yet again in the Hawkeyes’ high-powered offense. It is nice to see him get some recognition on a list like this because his team’s lack of success will likely hold him back during awards season.
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
After coming off an impressive freshman campaign, Jackson Shelstad looks to be the star of an Oregon team that is a dark horse to win the Big Ten. He averaged nearly 13 points per game last season and was a great facilitator on offense. If he can improve on his numbers and lead Oregon to some hardware, he will be a great contender for the award.
Braden Smith, Purdue
Can Braden Smith be the third Purdue player in a row to win the Naismith Award? Only time will tell. Smith was a great second option on a Purdue team that made the national championship game last year. Now he is the main scoring option on the team and expectations have gone up. He was named the preseason Player of the Year at Big Ten Media Days. This is a great honor. If he can live up to that hype it is easy to believe that he can be the National Player of the Year.
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
The last entry on the list is Bruce Thornton from Ohio State. The Buckeyes have had an eventful offseason. They promoted interim head coach Jake Diebler to the full-time position after his successful stint at the end of the year. He has helped to bring in some talent via the transfer portal. But, the offensive focal point will remain Thornton this season. He was an all-conference selection last year and should be able to improve with a better team and situation around him. It seems unlikely he will be able to win the Naismith Award, but he will certainly be able to challenge for it.
