Big Ten Power Rankings: A new No. 1 team after Spartans’ upset of Wisconsin
It’s crazy how much things can change from one week to the next when it comes to Big Ten basketball.
Last week, Michigan State was at its lowest point following a home loss to Northwestern. However, today the Spartans are at their highest mark after an impressive double-digit victory over Wisconsin.
So where do the Spartans land in our updated batch of power rankings? Let’s take a look at where we have Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten teams in our updated weekly power rankings:
No. 14: Nebraska
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Record: 6-13 (0-8 in Big Ten)
Nebraska is still searching for their first Big Ten win of the season, with another conference loss this week. The Cornhuskers remain in the basement of our power rankings for another week.
No. 13: Northwestern
David Banks/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 9-8 (2-6 in Big Ten)
Northwestern had a rough schedule this week with games against Wisconsin and Purdue so I don’t blame them for losing both games. But this is clearly a team that belongs near the bottom of the Big Ten.
No. 12: Penn State
Reese Strickland/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 8-8 (3-5 in Big Ten)
Penn State suffered a double-digit blowout loss in their lone game this week at Iowa. That disappointing performance has me dropping the Nittany Lions significantly in this week’s power rankings.
No. 11: Maryland
Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 10-9 (2-6 in Big Ten)
I’m not sure what to make of the Terps after this past week. They were blown out at Michigan but followed that up with a double-digit win over Illinois so I’m not sure which is the real Maryland result we should trust here.
No. 10: Minnesota
Harrison Barden/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 11-5 (2-5 in Big Ten)
Minnesota got a much-needed win over Rutgers this weekend and proved they are still a team that can contend for an NCAA Tournament bid. The win also moves them up in our updated power rankings.
No. 9: Michigan
Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 9-7 (3-3 in Big Ten)
Michigan has a big hole to dig out of, but they made some progress this week with a pair of impressive wins. The Wolverines blew out Maryland at home, then followed that up with a massive road win over Indiana.
No. 8: Rutgers
Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 11-7 (5-3 in Big Ten)
Like a lot of the teams in the bottom half of the Big Ten, it’s hard to get a good read on Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights had a nice win over Iowa early in the week but Saturday’s loss at Minnesota takes away from that victory.
No. 7: Iowa
Reese Strickland/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 14-5 (4-4 in Big Ten)
Iowa played well enough to win at Rutgers early in the week, but came up short on a questionable late-game call. Despite that loss, the Hawkeyes have been impressive lately and will have a big-time test against Purdue this upcoming week.
No. 6: Illinois
Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 13-5 (6-2 in Big Ten)
A week ago, I was close to having Illinois as my top-ranked team in the league. However, that has quickly changed with a pair of losses this past week and an injury to star center Kofi Cockburn.
No. 5: Indiana
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Record: 14-5 (5-4 in Big Ten)
I was ready to move Indiana up higher on our power rankings but then Sunday happened. Indiana picked up a big-time victory over rival Purdue on Thursday but followed that up with a double-digit home loss to Michigan. So I can’t move the Hoosiers up any higher than this right now.
No. 4: Ohio State
Joseph Maiorana/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 12-4 (5-2 in Big Ten)
It was a quiet week for the Buckeyes with just a non-conference win over IUPUI. This upcoming week will be different with a pair of road tests — at Minnesota and Purdue.
No. 3: Wisconsin
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Record: 15-3 (6-2 in Big Ten)
One loss won’t kill the Badgers but it definitely results in them dropping from the top spot in the league to No. 3. The Badgers will look to bounce back this week with a couple of games they should win — at Nebraska and home vs. Minnesota.
No. 2: Purdue
Ron Johnson/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 16-3 (5-3 in Big Ten)
Purdue has a case to be the No. 1 team in the league yet again. However, their three conference losses — including another one this week at Indiana — have me waiting on moving them back to the top spot in our power rankings.
No. 1: Michigan State
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Record: 15-3 (6-1 in Big Ten)
Michigan State is in first place in the Big Ten standings and now at the top of our power rankings. The Spartans made a statement with their win over the Badgers on Friday, and when you combine that with the rest of the top teams experiencing a loss this week that’s why I have Michigan State at the top of these rankings.
Complete Rankings
AP Photo/Andy Manis
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Michigan State
2. Purdue
3. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State
5. Indiana
6. Illinois
7. Iowa
8. Rutgers
9. Michigan
10. Minnesota
11. Maryland
12. Penn State
13. Northwestern
14. Nebraska
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