It’s no secret that the key to success in college basketball is elite guard play. The Big Ten Conference has long had a history of terrific guards, whether it be floor generals or straight-up good shooters. The 2025-26 season is no different, as the Big Ten features some of the best guards in the country. There are two elite point guards at the two schools who have been near the top of the standings for decades. Purdue and Michigan State have both historically had fantastic players.
This season appears to be a battle between Braden Smith and Jeremy Fears Jr to be the best point guard.
Elite Guard Play in Big Ten Proving to Be the Best in the Country
Both players deliver their best every night. No matter the outcome of the games, Smith and Fears are both playing at an elite level and trying to help their teams reach the very highest.
Smith, in the midst of his senior campaign, has already set the Big Ten all-time assists record . He also currently leads the country in assists per game at 9.3 assists per night. It doesn’t hurt that he has plenty of weapons around him. Not to be taken for granted, Braden is also a consistent bucket getter for the Boilermakers. The reigning Big Ten player of the Year and All-American certainly continues to show why he’s arguably one of the best point guards ever.
Fears Taking the Big Step for Tom Izzo
While Smith is going to get all the love, because he’s on the heels of chasing down Bobby Hurley ‘s all-time NCAA assist-mark. Michigan State’s Fears is quickly making his case for the best point guard in the Big Ten. Fears has quickly become the most important player on the court for the Spartans. From dropping nearly 10 assists a night, including a recent 17-assist performance in a 43-point win against Maryland, or his late-game heroics to beat Rutgers in overtime with a career-high 29 points .
Jeremy Fears is starting to take the next step in his game, much like other great Spartan point guards like Cassius Winston and Kalin Lucas did in the past. Is it crazy to say that Fears is on pace for a huge assist mark when it’s all said and done? He’s got 422 career assists in 69 games thus far. If he keeps it up, the sky’s the limit for Michigan State.
Don’t Forget Some of the Other Guards in the Big Ten
Sure, Fears and Smith get a lot of attention. They aren’t the only elite guards in the Big Ten. John Blackwell at Wisconsin was expected to be right in the picture at the guard spot this year, but he’s kind of taken a back seat to Nick Boyd , who transferred in and has been one of the top scorers in the conference.
Bennett Stirtz (Iowa) and Bruce Thornton (Ohio State) can’t be forgotten, as both are elite-level scorers and playmakers. The same can be said for the growth displayed from Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau . He’s shown a lot since transferring from North Carolina in the offseason. Cadeau struggled a bit shooting last season, but has delivered in some big moments this season. If he can keep it up, the Wolverines will live up to their currently No. 3 national ranking.
Nebraska’s Sam Hoiberg isn’t a big-time scorer, but his grit and determination have the Cornhuskers with their best start to a season ever at 20-1. That brings this conversation to the best freshman guard in the Big Ten. Keaton Wagler , who proved he could be elite after scoring 46 points in a win at Purdue, needed to step up following a major injury for the Illini , and he certainly has.
It’s very clear that the Big Ten features elite guard play.
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