The Big Ten’s point guard room is loaded heading into 2026-27, and the top of the list is crowded with players who can run a team, bend a defense and take over a game in different ways. But when you sort through the options, the order starts to sharpen pretty quickly.
At the top sits Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., and the case is hard to argue with. He enters the season as the league’s best point guard and, according to this ranking, the best in the country too.
Fears is the kind of floor general who controls the pace, keeps the offense organized and rarely gives possessions away. In 2025-26, he piled up 9.4 assists against just 2.4 turnovers while scoring 15.2 points per game.
He’s also a strong defender and a true leader on both ends, the sort of player who functions like a second coach on the floor. The one area that still stands out is the jumper; he hit 32.1 percent from deep last season, and teams were willing to live with that shot.
If that changes, his case gets even stronger.
Right behind him in the national conversation is Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau, who is coming off a season that already showed how valuable he can be. He averaged 10.5 points and 5.9 assists and still walked away as the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Cadeau gave the Wolverines exactly what they needed when they needed it, and now he’s set for a slightly different role. He’ll still be the main organizer, but his scoring load could tick up a bit.
The big swing skill to watch is his three-point shot. Cadeau shot 28.1 percent from deep in two seasons at North Carolina, then jumped to 37.6 percent at Michigan in 2025-26.
He has never shot better than 70.9 percent at the line, so that’s another piece worth watching. Add in his defense, and he’s in the mix for the top spot in the country.
Indiana’s Markus Burton brings a different flavor, but he belongs near the top for a reason. He is one of the best pick-and-roll guards around, with the vision to throw pocket passes, lobs and skip passes while staying patient enough to put big defenders in tough spots.
Burton is also a proven scorer, carrying a 19.1 career scoring average. He can get downhill in a hurry, collapse a defense and either finish himself or find the open man.
His 33.2 percent career mark from three adds another layer, and he’s a pesky on-ball defender who averages 1.8 steals per game. There aren’t many lead guards who can do all of that.
Then there’s Illinois’ Stefan Vaaks, who checks in with major upside even if the role is still taking shape. He led Providence in assists as a freshman in 2025-26 and showed real comfort as a ball-screen operator, though he wasn’t truly a full-time lead guard there.
Illinois is expected to split playmaking duties with five-star guard Quentin Coleman, but Vaaks looks like the more likely primary initiator. His recent FIBA performance only adds to that belief.
Listed at 6-foot-7 and rumored to have grown several inches, Vaaks can push the ball in transition, work effectively in the pick-and-roll and knock down shots at a high level. The question is how Illinois uses him.
Keeping him on the ball could mute his shooting impact, while playing him off the ball would take away from his playmaking. The most likely answer is a blend of both.
The final name in the top five is UCLA’s Trent Perry, who is about to move into a much bigger job. For his first two seasons with the Bruins, Perry played shooting guard, but with Donovan Dent gone and Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty set to operate off the ball, Perry is expected to take over lead-guard duties.
He already showed enough playmaking chops as an off-ball guard, averaging 2.8 assists in 2025-26. With more usage coming, his numbers should climb across the board, including his 12.6 points per game from last season.
Perry also shot a sharp 39.2 percent from three, which gives him a strong foundation as he steps into a new role.
The Big Ten doesn’t lack for elite backcourt talent, but Fears sits alone at the top for now. Cadeau, Burton, Vaaks and Perry give the league a deep and dangerous point guard group behind him.
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