Will Hornseth

ST. LOUIS — Northern Iowa men’s basketball forward Will Hornseth was named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s Most Improved Team for the 2025-26 season, as voted on by the league’s newspaper beat writers and a panel of media voters.

The award is the first conference honor for Hornseth, who was joined on the squad by captain Jaquan Johnson (Bradley), Rolyns Aligbe (Southern Illinois), Justus McNair (Valparaiso) and Drew Scharnowski (Belmont).

A sophomore standout for the Panthers, Hornseth appeared in and started 30 games during the regular season, averaging a career-high 11.3 points after posting five points per game as a true freshman. He has also pulled down 4.6 rebounds per game while recording 17 blocked shots and 16 steals this season.

Hornseth is shooting 61.6% from the field this season, currently on pace for the fifth-best single-season mark in UNI history. His career shooting clip of 63.6% ranks first in program history for athletes with at least 100 made field goals.

Entering the postseason, Hornseth has scored in double figures in 21 games, including each of his last 12 outings. He notably surpassed the 500 career point mark in Northern Iowa’s regular season finale on Sunday at Drake.