Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: MSU continues to sit near top of league
Michigan State continues to remain one of the top teams in the Big Ten in our latest batch of power rankings.
There wasn’t a ton of action this past week, but Michigan State did pick up a pair of wins — including a road conference win over Northwestern. Those two wins keep the Spartans near the top of our power rankings.
Let’s take a look at where we have the Spartans and the rest of the Big Ten teams in our updated weekly power rankings:
No. 14: Nebraska
Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 6-8 (0-3 in Big Ten)
Nebraska had Ohio State beaten on Sunday evening, leading by five with 30 seconds to go in the game. However, the Cornhuskers couldn’t finish them off, falling in overtime and remaining in the basement of the Big Ten.
No. 13: Rutgers
Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 7-5 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Rutgers drops one spot despite winning a pair of non-conference games this week. The Scarlet Knights are starting to improve but were passed by Penn State in this week’s rankings.
No. 12: Penn State
Matthew OHaren/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 6-5 (1-2 in Big Ten)
Penn State got back on the winning side this week with a big-time home win over Indiana on Sunday. The Nittany Lions move up one spot and move past Rutgers thanks to that victory.
No. 11: Michigan
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
Record: 7-5 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Michigan dropped yet another game this week — a double-digit road loss at UCF. The Wolverines’ season could be on the line this coming week, with a road trip to Rutgers and a home matchup against the Spartans.
No. 10: Iowa
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen
Record: 10-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Iowa handled Western Illinois this week, and now holds a three-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes will have a pair of big-time matchups this upcoming week against Maryland and Wisconsin.
No. 9: Northwestern
AP Photo/Paul Beaty
Record: 8-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Northwestern had Michigan State on the ropes early in Sunday’s matchup but couldn’t hold on to pull off the upset. The Wildcats don’t move up or down in our latest batch of rankings.
No. 8: Maryland
Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 8-4 (0-1 in Big Ten)
Maryland has appeared to right the ship, with three-straight wins after three-straight losses. The Terps knocked off Lehigh and Brown this past week to continue their positive momentum.
No. 7: Indiana
Matthew OHaren/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 10-3 (1-2 in Big Ten)
Indiana dropped a close road game at Penn State on Sunday, and slips down one spot in our updated rankings. The Hoosiers still look like an NCAA Tournament team but not a top-tier Big Ten squad at the moment.
No. 6: Minnesota
AP Photo/Craig Lassig
Record: 10-1 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Minnesota had this week off after their non-conference tilt against Alcorn State was canceled. We’ll learn a lot about the Golden Gophers in their next three games — home vs. Illinois, then road trips to Indiana and Michigan State.
No. 5: Wisconsin
Mary Langenfeld/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 10-2 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Wisconsin once again was in a nailbiter against a mid-major team — this time against Illinois State. The Badgers survived with the win but eventually will get burned if they keep playing with fire.
No. 4: Ohio State
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
Record: 9-2 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Ohio State finally returned to the court on Sunday after a three-week COVID pause with an overtime win vs. Nebraska. The Buckeyes drop one spot in my latest rankings as they looked understandably rusty and may need some time to get back into their stride.
No. 3: Illinois
Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 9-3 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Illinois didn’t play this past week due to a COVID-19 related cancelation. However, I was impressed with their blowout win over rival Missouri the week before and are moving them up one spot.
No. 2: Michigan State
AP Photo/Paul Beaty
Record: 12-2 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Michigan State picked up a pair of gutsy wins this past week, with a home win over High Point and a road victory over Northwestern. The Spartans remain as the second-best team in the league at the moment, with Illinois and Ohio State not far behind.
No. 1: Purdue
Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier
Record: 12-1 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Purdue wrapped up an undefeated non-conference slate this past week, and remains the best team in the league. The Boilermakers are a halfcourt shot away from being the No. 1 team in the country so only fitting they remain the top team in the league.
Complete Rankings
AP Photo/Paul Beaty
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Purdue
2. Michigan State
3. Illinois
4. Ohio State
5. Wisconsin
6. Minnesota
7. Indiana
8. Maryland
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Michigan
12. Penn State
13. Rutgers
14. Nebraska
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