A pair of Bulldogs were recognized with All-BIG EAST honors as graduate student forward Michael Ajayi was named to the league's first team and junior guard Finley Bizjack earned third-team honors.
 
The league's head coaches select the all-conference squads and were not permitted to select their own players. The BIG EAST Conference office announced the all-league teams Sunday, March 8.
 
Ajayi is the fifth Bulldog to earn All-BIG EAST first team honors since Butler joined the conference prior to the 2013-14 season (Kamar Baldwin, 2019-20; Kelan Martin, 2017-18; Andrew Chrabascz, 2016-17; Kellen Dunham, 2014-15).
 
Ajayi ranks fifth nationally in both rebounding (11.1 per game) and double-doubles (18) at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to leading the BIG EAST in rebounding, he is fifth in scoring (16.3 points per game) and also ranks among the conference's Top 15 in minutes played (third), field goal percentage (sixth), blocked shots (eighth), and assists (13^th). Ajayi's 345 rebounds this season are just nine shy of Butler's single-season record.
 
Ajayi won BIG EAST Player of the Week honors twice this season. Ajayi earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors Nov. 24 after averaging 16.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in Greenbrier Tip-Off wins over Virginia and South Carolina. His 20 rebounds in the Dec. 20 win over Northwestern set a career-high and were the most by a Bulldog in a game since 1983.
 
Bizjack's 17.1 points per game are third in the BIG EAST. He leads the conference in minutes played and his 85.7-percent accuracy at the free throw line is second in the BIG EAST. He averages 2.17 made three-pointers per game, which is fifth in the conference. Bizjack has 11 20-point games this season and went over 1,000 career points in Saturday's win at DePaul. He has led the team in scoring in 15 games this season.
 
The BIG EAST Player of the Year will come from the All-BIG EAST First Team.  The conference will announce Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Wednesday. Other league individual awards, including BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man Award and Sportsmanship Award will be announced Monday.

Butler, the No. 8 seed, opens the 2026 BIG EAST Tournament Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Bulldogs will meet Providence, the No. 9 seed, in the first game of the tournament at 4 p.m. The action will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network. The winner of Wednesday's game will meet top-seeded St. John's in Thursday's quarterfinals.
 
2025-26 BIG EAST All-Conference Teams
 
All-BIG EAST First Team
Michael Ajayi, Butler
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Alex Karaban, UConn 
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's *
Tre Carroll, Xavier
 
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Solo Ball, UConn
Jaylin Sellers, Providence
Bryce Hopkins, St. John's
Budd Clark, Seton Hall
Acaden Lewis, Villanova
 
All-BIG EAST Third Team
Finley Bizjack, Butler
KJ Lewis, Georgetown
Nigel James Jr., Marquette
Dillon Mitchell, St. John's
Duke Brennan, Villanova
Tyler Perkins, Villanova
 
All-Freshman Team
Braylon Mullins, UConn *
Nigel James Jr., Marquette *
Jamier Jones, Providence
Stefan Vaaks, Providence *
Acaden Lewis, Villanova *
 
All-Defensive Team
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's *
Budd Clark, Seton Hall
Dillon Mitchell, St. John's
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Chase Ross, Marquette
 
*Unanimous Selection