Smith had long been considered one of the top passers in college basketball, but he took a significant step forward in 2024 by creating his shot and being the best player on the team. While being second in the nation with 8.7 assists, he also scored 15.8 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds, solidifying himself as a true all-around point guard.
Lendeborg is in a similar position to Haggerty. He’s focusing on the NBA Draft process right now after announcing his commitment to Michigan through the portal. If he does come back, it would immediately make the Wolverines one of the favorites to compete for a national title.
Stirtz’s story has been well covered. The former D-II Northwest Missouri State guard excelled in his first season at the D-I level with the Bulldogs. He was named the Missouri Valley Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while shooting 39.5% from three-point range as the team’s lead guard.
The sidekick to former Badger guard John Tonje, Blackwell nearly doubled his scoring average from his freshman season and put up 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists. With the departure of Tonje, the 6’4″ combo guard will be expected to shoulder even more of the load as Wisconsin aims to compete for a Big Ten title.
Thornton did it all during his junior season with the Buckeyes with 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. He still shot over 50% from the field with much defensive attention paid to him, a fantastic feat, especially for a 6’2″ guard. He enters 2026 as arguably the best scorer in the Big Ten — while also finding open teammates at a high rate.
