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The Big Ten schedule is nearing the halfway point as January winds down. One team has separated itself at the top of the conference standings, but the league race is far from decided.
Here’s the latest edition of our Big Ten power rankings as February approaches:
(Note: Efficiency numbers below only include conference games.)
18. Washington (10-10, 1-8, .948 points per possession, 1.125 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 2)
Things are bleak for Danny Sprinkle and the Huskies. Washington has lost six straight games and has the worst offense in the Big Ten by a significant margin. After a 65-60 home loss to UCLA last Friday, Washington has time to regroup before it travels to Minnesota on Saturday.
17. Nebraska (12-8, 2-7, 1.004 points per possession, 1.157 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 4)
At 12-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play following a 66-58 win against UCLA on Jan. 4, things looked promising for the Huskers to compete for another NCAA tournament bid. The bottom has fallen out since with six straight losses. Most recently, Nebraska lost by 28 at Wisconsin on Sunday and returns home to play Illinois this Thursday.
16. Rutgers (10-10, 3-6, 1.035 points per possession, 1.124 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 5)
After back-to-back wins against UCLA and Nebraska, Rutgers dropped games last week at Penn State and to Michigan State at Madison Square Garden. The Scarlet Knights have two stud freshmen, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, but the supporting cast is not good enough to win consistently in the Big Ten.
15. Penn State (13-7, 3-6, 1.058 points per possession, 1.109 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 9)
Losers of five of their last six, Penn State is an NIT team at best at this point. The Nittany Lions have been competitive in most games but have been dreadful on the glass in league play. Penn State ranks 16th in the Big Ten in offensive rebounding percentage and 18th in defensive rebounding percentage.
14. Minnesota (11-9, 3-6, 1.068 points per possession, 1.175 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 3)
The Gophers have escaped the Big Ten cellar with three straight wins. Two of those wins came at the Barn against NCAA tournament teams in Michigan and Oregon. Dawson Garcia has been on a tear for Minnesota. He’s scored 20 or more points in five straight games and most recently had 31 in a 77-69 win against Oregon on Saturday.
13. Iowa (13-7, 4-5, 1.131 points per possession, 1.185 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 16)
The Hawkeyes stopped a three-game losing streak with a narrow 76-75 win against Penn State on Friday night. At just 4-5 in Big Ten play, KenPom only projects Iowa to win one more game the rest of the season. That’s unlikely to happen, but barring a miraculous turnaround, Iowa is headed for a second straight NCAA tournament miss.
12. Indiana (14-7, 5-5, 1.063 points per possession, 1.108 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 15)
Losers of four of their last five, Indiana has been one of the biggest disappointments nationally. The Hoosiers have fallen to .500 in Big Ten play after a 4-1 start. And the next stretch of games is brutal: at Purdue, at Wisconsin, vs. Michigan, at Michigan State, vs. UCLA and vs. Purdue.
11. Northwestern (12-8, 3-6, 1.04 points per possession, 1.088 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 1)
The Wildcats are treading water despite playing the toughest schedule through their first nine games. With six home games left and road trips to Minnesota, Washington and Iowa still to come, there are opportunities for Chris Collins to build the resume needed for a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
10. Ohio State (11-8, 3-5, 1.024 points per possession, 1.056 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 6)
Ohio State got a massive boost to its NCAA tournament resume when it snapped a three-game losing streak with a 73-70 win at Purdue last Tuesday. The predictive metrics still love the Buckeyes, who are No. 30 in the latest KenPom ratings as of Monday. A major week lies ahead for the Buckeyes as they host Iowa tonight before traveling to Penn State on Thursday.
9. USC (12-7, 4-4, 1.086 points per possession, 1.082 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 8)
Eric Musselman’s team was 110th in KenPom when it played Washington on Dec. 7 in Seattle and won. The Trojans have won seven of their last 10 games and are up to No. 67 in KenPom. Most impressively, USC already has three Big Ten road wins: at Washington, at Illinois and at Nebraska.
8. Oregon (16-4, 5-4, 1.057 points per possession, 1.093 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 10)
The Ducks have dropped two of their last three, including a 77-69 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. Oregon’s record is still stellar overall at 16-4, but Dana Altman’s team has to do a better job protecting homecourt for the rest of the season. Three of Oregon’s four conference losses have come in Eugene.
7. UCLA (14-6, 5-4, 1.071 points per possession, 1.084 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 13)
After dropping four straight games from Jan. 4 through Jan. 13, the Bruins have won three straight and have a huge road game at USC tonight. The next three after the USC game are all at home for the Bruins, who have the talent to compete for a double-bye in March’s Big Ten tournament.
6. Illinois (14-6, 6-4, 1.1 points per possession, .997 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 11)
The Fighting Illini snapped a two-game losing streak with a comfortable 83-74 win against Northwestern on Sunday. Tomislav Ivisic has missed the last two games for Illinois due to an illness, a significant loss given his importance on the frontline as a finisher and floor spacer. Illinois plays three of its next four on the road, but they’re favored in each game. In fact, KenPom doesn’t project Brad Underwood’s team to lose again until a road trip to Wisconsin on Feb. 18.
5. Maryland (16-5, 6-4, 1.105 points per possession, 1.026 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 7)
Winners of five of their last six, the Terps are flying high after road wins against Illinois and Indiana last week. Maryland crushed Illinois in Champaign, 91-70, before late-game heroics by Rodney Rice helped them overcome a five-point deficit against the Hoosiers. Maryland has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, with six of its last 10 games at the Xfinity Center.
4. Michigan (14-5, 6-2, 1.124 points per possession, 1.08 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 12)
The Wolverines were blown out for the first time all season on Friday night in Mackey Arena. Michigan hasn’t been playing well lately as it lost in overtime at Minnesota on Jan. 16 and then needed overtime to beat Northwestern in Ann Arbor on Jan. 19. This is a pivotal week for Michigan to win two games to remain in the Big Ten title race. The Wolverines host Penn State tonight before traveling to Rutgers on Saturday.
3. Wisconsin (16-4, 6-3, 1.175 points per possession, 1.018 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 17)
The Badgers have won eight of their last nine, with the lone loss being a two-point defeat to UCLA last Tuesday in Westwood. The schedule becomes more challenging down the stretch, but Wisconsin is a clear contender for a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament. John Tonje was one of the country’s best transfer portal additions, and Greg Gard deserves credit for retooling a roster with significant transfer portal departures.
2. Purdue (16-5, 8-2, 1.164 points per possession, .973 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 14)
On Friday night, Purdue rebounded from a stunning home loss against Ohio State by crushing Michigan by 27 at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers have three games where they’ll before heavy favorites (Indiana, at Iowa, USC) before a three-game stretch that will have major Big Ten title implications: at Michigan, vs. Wisconsin and at Michigan State. Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn are in the mix for All-Big Ten first-team honors.
1. Michigan State (17-2, 8-0, 1.181 points per possession, .968 points per possession allowed, conference SOS: 18)
The Spartans haven’t lost since the Maui Invitational and have the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 12 games. Michigan State has played the most favorable schedule of any Big Ten team and has taken advantage. Tom Izzo’s team is two games clear of Michigan and Purdue in the loss column with Minnesota coming to East Lansing on Tuesday. After that, the Spartans head west to play USC and UCLA.
Filed to: Big Ten Power Rankings
