Big Ten Freshman of the Year Rankings: Is Illinois' Keaton Wagler the Early Favorite?

The Big Ten’s freshman group in the 2024-25 season had it all: firepower, depth, international flavor. The conference saw six of its freshmen plucked off the board in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

That bar is nearly impossible to match, but this year’s crew of first-year hoopers in the Big Ten is still quite talented. We’ve already seen a few league games, not to mention a healthy dash of tough non-conference battles that give us an idea how the rest of the campaign may unfold for these freshmen. With that in mind, here’s our inaugural Big Ten Freshman of the Year power rankings for the 2025-26 season:

Big Ten Freshman of the Year power rankings

Dec 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) looks to pass as Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager (5) defends during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 5: Trey McKenney, Michigan

The lone player on this list to come off the bench, Trey McKenney plays only 20.7 minutes per game, yet his impact in those minutes has been profound. A gravity-pulling shooter, McKenney is connecting on 38.5 percent of his threes (5.2 attempts per game) and offering the Wolverines a top-notch shooting threat on the second unit.

Michigan freshman Trey McKenney was lights out in his debut finishing with 21 points on 7-10 from the field and 6-8 from deep🎯 pic.twitter.com/9IDmqJG2qw
— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) November 4, 2025

Not just a shooter, McKenney has a downhill game to supplement his smooth stroke. Given the makeup of Michigan’s roster – which features talent in spades – it isn’t necessary for McKenney to be a star. That ultimately may keep him from making a run at Big Ten FOTY, but it will also afford him the opportunity to win a national title (and possibly a Sixth Man of the Year award). Not a bad trade-off.

No. 4: David Mirkovic, Illinois

Although his play has tailed off a bit recently, David Mirkovic has been shockingly effective for the Illini from the jump. He already has a 20-20 game under his belt, and he is currently averaging 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

His three-point shot is respectable (35.0 percent), but Mirkovic does much of his work in the interior, with his back to the basket. Between his footwork, touch and playmaking ability, he’s a nightmare for opposing defenses to shut down around the rim. Defensively, though, he remains a work in progress.

No. 3: Kayden Mingo, Penn State

There hasn’t been a player to win the Big Ten FOTY award whose club finished under .500 in league play in quite some time. And given what we’ve seen from Penn State thus far, it would be a shock if the Nittany Lions came anywhere near breaking even in their conference games.

This week’s Pennsylvania Lottery Winning Moment of the Week goes to @PennStateMBB's Kayden Mingo, who scored a game-high 21 points to help the Nittany Lions secure its 8-1 start to the season. #WeAre | Sponsored by @PALottery pic.twitter.com/hA8pyLcNYk
— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) December 10, 2025

But Kayden Mingo still deserves his flowers. The 6-foot-3 guard has been the sole positive from Penn State’s campaign to date, averaging 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game. In the Nittany Lions’ best game of the season – a four-point loss to No. 9 Michigan State – he went for 11 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, showcasing his diverse skill set.

No. 2: Keaton Wagler, Illinois

Perhaps the biggest freshman surprise in the nation, Keaton Wagler was talked up by coaches and teammates during the preseason, and he has quickly backed up the buzz despite being ranked the No. 150 prospect in the class of 2025.

Averaging 15.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists on the season, Wagler has been one of the most effective players on a loaded Illinois team. Recently, he has taken over the reins of the offense, going for 19.3 points and 6.7 assists over a three-game stretch that included matchups against Tennessee, Ohio State and Nebraska.

A pick-and-roll maestro with a cool, calm demeanor, Wagler embodies the phrase “mature beyond his years." He also has a knockdown jumper and a herky-jerky change of pace that allows him to get to the basket.

No. 1: Hannes Steinbach, Washington

A glance at Hannes Steinbach’s stat line automatically induces a double take: 17.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.7 steals and only 1.7 turnovers a game? That can’t be right.

Evidently, it is. And it’s not as if Steinbach only feasts on low-level competition. He put up 24 points and 16 rebounds against then-No. 24 USC in Washington’s biggest win of the campaign. The 6-foot-11 forward Steinbach produced 29 points and 10 rebounds in a two-point loss vs. UCLA. Oh, and he just so happened to shoot 91.7 percent from the field in that outing.

He’s physical, intelligent and patient, and he possesses a tremendously soft touch (66.7 percent shooting from three – albeit on 0.9 attempts per game). There isn’t much Steinbach can’t do.

Washington's 6'9 big Hannes Steinbach is popping up on more and more NBA mock drafts lately...

18.5 PPG
12.8 RPG
2.7 APG
63% FG
67% 3FG

Outrageous numbers to start the season... What do y'all think?🤔🤔 https://t.co/0bowgPY51X pic.twitter.com/Phs58XAQNk
— MBB Performances (@mbbperformances) December 13, 2025

The most underrated freshman in college basketball, Steinbach, a native of Germany, has been outstanding in every capacity. And perhaps it would be unwise to expect his percentages (64.9 percent from the field) and even all-around volume of production to hold up in the long run. But for now, he stands head-and-shoulders above his competition for the Big Ten Freshman of the Year title.

(Honorable mentions: Maryland’s Darius Adams, Michigan State’s Cam Ward and Nebraska’s Braden Frager)