by MADISON, Wis. – A pair of Badgers were named to the 2015-16 Preseason All-Big Ten Team, as Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig were each selected by a vote of the league’s media announced Wednesday.
It marked the first time both Hayes and Koenig were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, as Hayes was a unanimous selection. The only other unanimous selections were 2015-16 Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Melo Trimble of Maryland, Denzel Valentine of Michigan State and A.J. Hammons of Purdue.
This marks the second-straight season two Badgers have been named to the preseason all-conference team. 2015 National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky and 2015 Second Team-All Big Ten honoree Sam Dekker were each selected to the Preseason All-Big Ten team last year.
Hayes and Koenig mark the 11th and 12th players under head coach Bo Ryan to earn preseason all-conference team selection.
The 12 preseason all-conference honors in the Ryan era is tied with Michigan State for the most in that span. Indiana has had 11 nominees over that period, while Michigan has had nine, Illinois has had eight and Ohio State has had seven.
Wisconsin officially opens the season with an exhibition game against UW-River Falls on Nov. 4 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers’ official season opener is on Nov. 13 against Western Illinois and will include a special commemorative ceremony to honor last season’s national finalist team.
2015-16 PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Melo Trimble, Maryland
2015-16 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
James Blackmon Jr., Indiana
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Jake Layman, Maryland
MELO TRIMBLE, MARYLAND
Caris LeVert, Michigan
DENZEL VALENTINE, MICHIGAN STATE
A.J. HAMMONS, PURDUE
NIGEL HAYES, WISCONSIN
Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
