Temple University Athletics
Ford, Tobiason Garner All-BIG 5 Honors
4.27.26 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Big 5 announced Monday afternoon that Derrian Ford and Aiden Tobiason earned All-Big 5 status, with each also securing major awards.
Ford was named to the All-Big 5 First Team and earned the Palumbo Award, honoring the leading scorer in the Big 5. Tobiason was selected to the All-Big 5 Second Team and was named the George Paull Award winner, which recognizes the most improved player among the city's six schools in the organization.
Ford averaged 18.1 points per game on North Broad for the Owls. He becomes Temple's first Palumbo Award winner since Shizz Alston Jr. during the 2018-19 campaign. After averaging 8.0 points and 3.4 rebounds at Arkansas State in 2024-25, Ford emerged as one of the league's top scorers at Temple, ranking fourth in the American in scoring, free-throw percentage (.852) and free throws made (167). He earned All-American Conference Third Team, All-Newcomer Team and NABC All-Mid-Atlantic District Second Team honors in his final collegiate season.
After averaging 4.8 points per game as a freshman, Tobiason became one of Temple's most dependable players as a sophomore, averaging 15.3 points per game while ranking fourth in the American in field-goal percentage at 48.0 percent. He totaled seven 20-plus-point performances, including a career-high 27-point outburst at East Carolina. He was named the Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Week following the performance and earned American Conference Weekly Honorable Mention four times throughout the 2025-26 campaign. He becomes the 11th Owl to earn the George Paull Award.
Big 5 Major Awards
Player of the Year: Derek Simpson, SJU
Coach of the Year: Steve Donahue, SJU
Rookie of the Year: Acaden Lewis, Villanova
Most Improved Player: Aiden Tobiason, Temple
Scholar-Athlete: Justice Ajogbor, SJU
Leading Scorer: Derrian Ford, Temple (18.1 ppg)
Top Free Throw Shooter: Derek Simpson, SJU (91.7%)
First Team
TJ Power, Penn
Derek Simpson, SJU
Derrian Ford, Temple
Tyler Perkins, Villanova
Duke Brennan, Villanova
Shane Blakeney, Drexel
Second Team
Jaden Glover-Toscano, SJU
Rob Dockery, La Salle
Ethan Roberts, Penn
Aiden Tobiason, Temple
Bryce Lindsay, Villanova
Acaden Lewis, Villanova
