Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: How Many B1G Teams Will Make the NCAA Tournament?

By Mike Young on February 23, 2015 at 10:10 am
@TheCauldron
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It is considered a "down year" for the Big Ten but as many as eight teams might make the NCAA Tournament. 

Thanks to recent hot streaks from Illinois and Purdue, 2015 might bring a new conference record for number of participants in the big dance. The previous record is seven, set in 1990, tied in 2009, 2011 and 2013. 

Michigan State, Michigan and Nebraska have fallen off relative to last season. It's a testament to the coaching and how strong the conference has been lately that the committee will still consider eight schools. At the same time, tournament spots for six of those teams aren't necessarily secured. 

I include Wisconsin and Maryland in the group that is safe from elimination, but metrics aren't the new B1G member's favor. The Badgers are No. 4 in KenPom.com's ratings while the Terps are No. 39. Considering every conference receives an automatic bid, there isn't a direct correlation between those ratings and who makes the tournament. Still, the Big Ten has nine in the top 68. Minnesota is the one you wouldn't expect to see in there.

1. Wisconsin (25-2, 13-1)

Last Week: 55-47 win at Penn State, 63-53 win vs Minnesota
This Week: at Maryland, vs Michigan State

The Badgers continue to roll through their portion of the Big Ten schedule and will get even stronger following their much-anticipated visit to Maryland.

Senior point guard Traevon Jackson thinks he'll be able to return Sunday against the Spartans.

"I’ll probably be practicing this week, sometime after the [Maryland] game," Jackson said, via Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "I’m just willing to help the team out in whatever [way] I can. If that means coming off the bench, if that means starting." 

Bronson Koenig's performance is the reason why Bo Ryan might stick with the starting lineup he's used since Jackson broke his foot in early January. Koenig takes 3.5 threes per game and is hitting them at a 40 percent clip, better than any single season in Jackson's career. His shooting ability is integral to his team's floor spacing on offense.

2. Maryland (22-5, 10-4)

Last Week: 69-65 win vs Nebraska
This Week: vs Wisconsin, vs Michigan

The Terps' last three games have been close games down the stretch, each decided by four points or fewer.

They've been surprisingly poor against the bottom of the Big Ten too. They needed a major comeback – or collapse, depending on your interpretation – to beat Northwestern at home, won by three at Penn State and played another close game against Nebraska. 

Maryland is 16-1 at the XFINITY Center, but will have to play a more complete game in order to upset Wisconsin.

3. Purdue (18-9, 10-4)

Last Week: 67-63 win at Indiana
This Week: vs Rutgers, at Ohio State

As far as their tournament chances go, the Boilermakers needed that win at Indiana. 

Their best road win prior to that was at Penn State, in overtime. Purdue's resume also includes home losses to North Florida and Gardner-Webb, all contributing to Joe Lunardi's unwillingness to put the Boilermakers in the field of 68. They play three tournament-caliber teams to close the season, so Purdue is capable of sealing a tournament berth before the conference tournament begins.

Meanwhile, "This Week in Terrible Big Ten Officiating" stars the ref who gave A.J. Hammons a technical foul after this dunk:

4. Michigan State (19-8, 10-4)

Last Week: 80-67 win at Michigan, 60-53 win at Illinois
This Week: vs Minnesota, at Wisconsin

The Spartans are playing their best ball as we draw closer to March, not exactly a surprise for a Tom Izzo-coached team.

A win at Illinois was no guarantee, especially since they beat MSU in East Lansing, Feb. 7. Michigan State absolutely suffocated the Illini offense, holding them under 30 percent shooting from the field. 

Branden Dawson is as big a reason as any for the Spartans' 5-1 start to February. He's shooting 65 percent from the field while averaging 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, the world received great news during MSU's win over their in-state rivals:

5. Indiana (19-9, 9-6)

Last Week: 67-63 loss vs Purdue, 84-54 win at Rutgers
This Week: at Northwestern

The state of Indiana produces some of the best high school talent and, as you may know, residents are quite passionate about the game. The two biggest public universities in the state are Indiana and Purdue, creating the most vitriolic atmosphere for any Big Ten rivalry.

Hoosier fans have been increasingly angry with head coach Tom Crean since he stepped on campus and losing twice to the Boilermakers, this season, will only heighten that. Just search Tom Crean's name on Twitter, you'll see the hatred spewed towards Crean in the wake of losing to Purdue – either that or people making fun of the creepy faces he makes while adjusting his ill-fitting pants.

6. Ohio State (19-8, 8-6)

Last Week: 64-57 loss at Michigan
This Week: vs Nebraska, vs Purdue

February has not been kind to the Buckeyes, proving that a young team was not hitting its stride after a three-game win streak to end January. 

Losses to Michigan State and Purdue aren't particularly embarrassing but Sunday's loss to Michigan was. Ohio State got a full week off and entered a charged-up atmosphere in Ann Arbor. Apparently, all those people drained OSU of their energy. 

“We had eight days off. Nobody’s tired, nobody’s legs are hurting, nobody is injured," Sam Thompson said, via our Tim Shoemaker. " To come out like that is inexcusable."

Three of the Buckeyes' final four games are at The Schott, while the only road game at Penn State. I expect them go to 3-1 to end the season, although D'Angelo Russell's 14 of 41 stretch is quite concerning.

Ohio State could stand to spread the opposing defense with a smaller lineup because Russell is getting hounded any time he puts the ball on the floor in the half court. 

This guy is a complete lost cause, in case it took you this long to realize it:

7. Iowa (17-10, 8-6)

Last Week: 81-47 win vs Rutgers, 74-46 win at Nebraska
This Week: vs Illinois, at Penn State

The Hawkeyes' see-saw season continues after a week in which two victories were assured. 

Iowa lost consecutive games to Iowa State and Northern Iowa in December. They followed that up with a three-game winning streak, a loss, two wins, three-straight losses, two wins, another two losses and yet another two-game win streak.

Which Hawkeyes team will we see this week, facing two teams they haven't played yet this season?

8. Illinois (17-10, 7-7)

Last Week: 60-53 loss vs Michigan State
This Week: at Iowa, vs Northwestern

The losses keep mounting but their quality wins might keep them in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois has three wins over top 50 RPI teams – a neutral site win against Baylor, in Champaign versus Maryland and at Michigan State. 

Rayvonte Rice is back but his return from injury and suspension has not gone smoothly. In his last three games, Rice is shooting a combined 29 percent from the field and his playing time continues to increase. His minutes won't change much, as the Illini wing depth is still lacking and won't receive any help from the transferring Aaron Cosby.

9. Michigan (14-13, 7-8)

Last Week: 80-67 loss vs Michigan State, 64-57 win vs Ohio State
This Week: at Maryland

The Wolverines played host on rivalry week to both of their in-conference enemies.

Michigan's defensive performance against Michigan State was particularly dreadful in transition, as they allowed the Spartans to consistently get easy buckets and shoot 62 percent from the field. Of course, the opposite was true against Ohio State. The Buckeyes weren't able to push the pace until they implemented a heavy full-court press late in the second half. Otherwise, Michigan contained OSU to the half court. 

If you want to make a musical comparison, they made the Buckeyes look almost as bad as Big Sean's lyrics on "Dance."

10. Minnesota (16-12, 5-10)

Last Week: 72-66 loss vs Northwestern, 63-53 loss at Wisconsin
This Week: at Michigan State

At one point, the Gophers were on the path to salvaging their season.

Minnesota won four of five games at the end of January and the early part of this month, including wins over Illinois, Purdue and Iowa. Now, the bottom is falling out, evident in a home-court loss to Northwestern.

The Gophers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and a relentless schedule, which concludes with a trip to East Lansing, another game against Wisconsin and a rematch of an earlier loss to Penn State.

11. Northwestern (13-14, 4-10)

Last Week: 72-66 win at Minnesota, 60-39 win vs Penn State
This Week: vs Indiana, at Illinois

Trending in the opposite direction is Northwestern, winners of their last three games.

Head coach Chris Collins installed a zone defense recently, which held Penn State to 27 percent shooting and under 40 points. More unexpected was their sudden offensive explosion at "The Barn."

For the first time since Dec. 27, the Wildcats scored more than 70 in a win. They were deadly from beyond the arc against Minnesota, hitting 15 of their 32 threes. 

12. Nebraska (13-14, 5-10)

Last Week: 69-65 loss at Maryland, 74-46 loss vs Iowa
This Week: at Ohio State

Pulling Walter Pitchford from the starting lineup didn't work and dope throwback uniforms aren't the cures, so what will Tim Miles try next?

He will implement his new plan this week, issuing a ban on using their fairly new training complex. Players will have to find a new place with "multiple big-screen TVs, a pool table, a smoothie bar, leather lounge chairs, heated towel racks and I-pod shower plug-ins."

"There will be chains on the doors locking it from the outside ... until further notice," Miles said, via the Omaha World-Herald. "Good luck [finding a place to dress]. They’re creative."

Seems like an unnecessary tactic but I'm not going to question a man who is dominating the sweater game:

13. Penn State (15-13, 3-12)

Last Week: 55-47 loss vs Wisconsin, 60-39 loss at Northwestern
This Week: vs Iowa

Pat Chambers' week started off poorly and didn't get much better on the weekend.

The Big Ten fined Penn State's head coach $10,000, Monday, for criticizing officials after a Feb. 14 loss to Maryland. The Nittany Lions played the Badgers closer than expected but it still never really felt like they were in the game. 

PSU followed that up with this disastrous offensive performance:

14. Rutgers (10-18, 2-13)

Last Week: 81-47 loss at Iowa, 84-54 loss vs Indiana
This Week: at Purdue

The Scarlet Knights might lose out, which would mean they'd end the season on a 14-game losing streak.

At least they can take solace in Ted Valentine's absence from Sunday's game:

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