Jeremy Fears Jr. Opens as Big Ten Player of the Year Favorite, Award Is His to Lose

Leading the pack is nothing new for the Michigan State Spartans, but for the first time in nearly a decade, the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten Player of the Year award is wearing green and white.

The Big Ten National Player of the Year odds for the 2026-27 season have officially been released, and with them came a list of 21 players from across the conference who are viewed as the top contenders to take home the conference's top individual honor.

A slew of names made the list, representing 11 different schools. It's another reminder of just how loaded the Big Ten is after placing five of the final eight teams, two of the Final Four teams, and the eventual national champion in last season's NCAA Tournament. Simply put, the Big Ten has established itself as the deepest, toughest, and most competitive conference in college basketball.

Leading every player in the conference is one lone Spartan.

Jeremy Fears Jr. is the only player sitting at better than +1000 odds, opening at +850 to win the Big Ten Player of the Year award before a single minute of basketball has even been played.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Fears also enters the season as the preseason favorite for the Wooden Award, recognizing the nation's top player. Right now, the Big Ten Player of the Year award is Fears' to lose.

Fears enters his junior season with enormous expectations from national analysts, NBA scouts, coaches, fans, and just about everyone except opposing teams.

After setting the Michigan State single-season assists record, finishing just 17 assists shy of Braden Smith's Big Ten record, leading the Spartans in scoring at 15.1 points per game, and consistently taking over games late, Fears proved he could carry the team when it mattered most.

Now, he's looking to take another step.

Individual awards and records don't appear to be what's driving Fears this season. If anything, he'd likely trade every personal accolade for one thing: helping Michigan State reach its first National Championship game since 2009.

While Fears sits atop the preseason odds at +850, there are still 20 other players looking to chase him down and bring the award back to their respective schools.

Michigan State also has a second player inside the top six.

Coen Carr enters the season tied for sixth in the conference at +6000.

The high-flying, jaw-dropping, get-you-out-of-your-seat athleticism that Carr brings every night would be an enormous boost for Michigan State if he found himself in the Big Ten Player of the Year conversation. He's become known for highlight-reel dunks where it feels like half of his body is above the rim before he even starts coming back down. Carr has a way of making fans feel like they're watching ESPN's Top 10 plays every time he throws down another slam.

The biggest question surrounding Carr remains his outside shooting.

His jumper was arguably his biggest weakness a season ago, but if he spent enough time in the gym refining that smooth left-handed stroke and becomes a more consistent shooter, Carr has every opportunity to explode onto the national scene.

The other 10 schools with players listed in the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year odds are:

Illinois

Michigan

USC

Indiana

Purdue

Nebraska

UCLA

Ohio State

Wisconsin

It's shaping up to be one of the most exciting college basketball seasons in recent memory, with no shortage of star power throughout the conference. Every player on this list will be looking to prove they're the best in the Big Ten—and perhaps the nation—but more importantly, they'll be chasing conference championships, deep NCAA Tournament runs, and ultimately a chance to cut down the nets in April.