Big Ten basketball season is underway and we at Eleven Warriors feel it is our duty to bring you the most prestigious set of Big Ten power rankings you will find on the Internet.
We're two weeks into the Big Ten season and there already seems to be clear separation. It feels like Maryland and Michigan State are the class of the conference while Iowa and Indiana are right there, just a slight step behind. Purdue started off strong, but has since faltered and after that, it's anyone's guess at this point.
As we approach the middle of January, here's a look at our first set of Big Ten basketball power rankings that will be released Monday mornings from here on out.
1. Maryland (15-1, 4-0)
Last week: 88-63 win vs. Rutgers; 63-60 win at Wisconsin
This week: Tuesday at Michigan; Saturday vs. Ohio State
The Terrapins come in on top of Week 1's power rankings thanks in large part to the heroics of point guard Melo Trimble, who put a dagger through the hearts of Wisconsin fans with his game-winning 3-pointer in Madison on Saturday:
Maryland was the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten and a Final Four contender before the season started and the Terps have done nothing to lose that notion through the first few months of the season.
A tough road game at Michigan awaits Maryland this week before hosting Ohio State, but things really get going Jan. 23 when the Terps travel to take on Michigan State, then host Iowa in their next game.
2. Michigan State (16-1, 3-1)
Last week: 79-54 win vs. Illinois; 92-65 win at Penn State
This week: Thursday vs. Iowa; Sunday at Wisconsin
Michigan State has its man back; Denzel Valentine returned to action Sunday in the Spartans' 92-65 rout of Penn State. The All-American and Player of the Year candidate came off the bench and played 23 minutes, scoring 10 points with four rebounds and four assists.
Valentine missed four games for Michigan State due to a knee injury and the Spartans went 3-1 in that stretch — the lone loss coming on the road at Iowa. With Valentine in the lineup, Michigan State is yet to lose this season.
The Spartans and Terrapins will likely be jockeying for the Big Ten's top spot all year long.
3. Iowa (12-3, 3-0)
Last week: 77-66 win vs. Nebraska
This week: Thursday at Michigan State; Sunday vs. Michigan
There's an early case for the Hawkeyes to top this list as perhaps nobody has a more impressive Big Ten resume to start conference play than Iowa. The Hawkeyes already possess wins over both Michigan State and Purdue.
Led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Jarrod Uthoff — who is averaging 18.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game — Iowa has surged to the top of the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes will get tested again this week — it's been a difficult schedule to start league play thus far — as they travel to East Lansing for a rematch for Michigan State and host Michigan.
Yes, Iowa already beat Michigan State, but that game was played without Valentine and these rankings are about how the teams are playing right now and I still think MSU is the better team when fully healthy. If the Hawkeyes beat the Spartans on Thursday, they'll move up, rest assured any random Iowa fan who may be reading this.
4. Indiana (14-3, 4-0)
Last week: 59-58 win vs. Wisconsin; 85-60 win vs. Ohio State
This week: Saturday at Minnesota
The Hoosiers are surging after a pair of home wins last week against middling Big Ten teams Wisconsin and Ohio State.
The performance against the Buckeyes was especially impressive considering Ohio State won seven straight games before being dismantled by the Hoosiers on Sunday. Even without James Blackmon Jr., IU looked just as explosive on the offensive end of the floor.
Get to know the name, @B1GMBBall fans: OG Anunoby, of @IndianaMBB. https://t.co/00QI7Pcy92
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 10, 2016
The Hoosiers picked up their defense to start Big Ten play, allowing just 64.8 points per game in league matchups — third in the conference. Indiana has won nine-straight games and has a favorable slate all the way until a Feb. 2 road game at Michigan before its backloaded Big Ten schedule begins.
5. Purdue (14-3, 2-2)
Last week: 87-70 win vs. Michigan; 84-70 loss at Illinois
This week: Wednesday vs. Penn State
Losers of two of their last three, the Boilermakers are trending the wrong way. Purdue's loss to Iowa — albeit after blowing a huge lead — was somewhat acceptable because the Hawkeyes are a good team. Its loss to Illinois on Sunday, though? Not so much.
It was especially concerning because the Boilermakers blasted Michigan on Thursday, then followed it up by losing by double-digits to the Illini giving John Groce's squad its first Big Ten win of the season.
Purdue still has the talent to finish in one of the top-four spots of the Big Ten, but right now, things are headed in the wrong direction. Still, it's early, and the Boilermakers have a couple of chances to earn easy wins with Penn State and Rutgers next on the schedule before back-to-back games against Ohio State and Iowa.
6. Michigan (12-4, 2-1)
Last week: 87-70 loss at Purdue
This week: Tuesday vs. Maryland; Sunday at Iowa
Michigan's season hangs in the balance as we await the status of Caris LeVert. The Wolverines' best player missed the last two games with a leg injury and Michigan coach John Beilein is not revealing too much about the injury to his star.
Without LeVert, the Wolverines blasted Penn State, but then were routed by Purdue on the road. If he doesn't return, Michigan is likely looking at a 2-3 start in league play with Maryland and Iowa up next.
If this is a long-term injury, the Wolverines' NCAA tournament status obviously becomes a bit in doubt.
7. Ohio State (11-6, 3-1)
Last week: 65-56 win at Northwestern; 85-60 loss at Indiana
This week: Wednesday vs. Rutgers; Saturday at Maryland
The Buckeyes had their seven-game win streak snapped Sunday with a 25-point loss to Indiana — a game which Ohio State trailed by 30 at halftime. The Buckeyes trailed from the jump and never recovered, and it was especially disappointing considering how they closed out the game at Northwestern on Wednesday.
Throw it down big man! @OhioStAthletics' Mickey Mitchell drops a dime to Daniel Giddens for the two-handed dunk. https://t.co/vfvQpY5kTg
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) January 7, 2016
Ohio State is in the midst of a stretch where it plays four of five on the road; the final two in that slate are at Maryland and Purdue. The Buckeyes will host Rutgers at home on Wednesday before those difficult back-to-back road battles.
It's likely Ohio State finds itself in the 6-to-9 range on this list for the rest of the season. The Buckeyes are young, talented and have shown flashes this season, but the Big Ten is brutal and the rest of their conference schedule is difficult.
8. Northwestern (14-3, 2-2)
Last week: 65-56 loss vs. Ohio State; 77-52 win at Minnesota
This week: Tuesday vs. Wisconsin; Saturday vs. Penn State
The Wildcats rebounded from their loss to Ohio State earlier in the week by routing Minnesota over the weekend and Northwestern has a pair of winnable back-to-back games before its most brutal stretch of the season begins.
After home games against Wisconsin and Penn State, the Wildcats will play Maryland, Indiana, Michigan State and Iowa — in order — with three of those four coming on the road. Northwestern is trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history and it's going to have its hands full in attempting to do so.
9. Wisconsin (9-8, 1-3)
Last week: 59-58 loss at Indiana; 63-60 loss vs. Maryland
This week: Tuesday at Northwestern; Sunday vs. Michigan State
It has been a disappointing season in Madison. The Badgers knew there would be bumps along the way losing players like Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker and Josh Gasser, but the returns of Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig were supposed to be enough.
Add in the fact head coach Bo Ryan announced his immediate retirement in the middle of the season and you're left with a 9-8 record and a 1-3 start in the Big Ten. Wisconsin has the most talent of any team listed from here on out and the Badgers have been competitive in losses to Indiana and Maryland, but moral victories don't get you much and Wisconsin knows that.
The Badgers have two games left against Michigan State and one each against Maryland and Iowa so it could be a long season for the defending Big Ten champs.
10. Illinois (9-8, 1-3)
Last week: 79-54 loss at Michigan State; 84-70 win vs. Purdue
This week: Saturday vs. Nebraska
After getting blasted on the road by Michigan State, Illinois got Kendrick Nunn back Sunday against Purdue and it made quite the difference.
The Illini possess the Big Ten's most dangerous scoring backcourt in Nunn and Malcolm Hill and the duo went off to combine for 52 points in that win over the Boilermakers. Illinois will need more of that going forward if it wants to turn its season around — its remaining schedule is one of the more manageable ones left for any Big Ten team.
ICYMI: Malcolm Hill scored 30 points to lead @IlliniMBB to a 84-70 win over Purdue. https://t.co/hRcv5VTT6r
— Illinois on BTN (@IllinoisOnBTN) January 11, 2016
11. Nebraska (9-8, 1-3)
Last week: 77-66 loss at Iowa; 90-56 win at Rutgers
This week: Tuesday vs. Minnesota; Saturday at Illinois
The Huskers got off the right foot in Big Ten play with their 90-56 blowout of Rutgers on Saturday. Nebraska has a pair of winnable games ahead — at home against Minnesota, at Illinois — to try and get back to the .500 mark in the league before a difficult four-game stretch begins.
Scoring hasn't been the issue for the Huskers; they rank fifth in the Big Ten with 74.3 points per game in league contests. It's been the defense that has doomed Nebraska — it ranks 10th in the Big Ten allowing 73.3 points per game in the conference.
12. Penn State (10-7, 1-3)
Last week: 86-77 win vs. Minnesota; 92-65 loss vs. Michigan State
This week: Wednesday at Purdue; Saturday at Northwestern
Like Nebraska, Penn State also earned its first Big Ten victory of the season this week. The Nittany Lions did it with a nine-point win against Minnesota.
But Penn State followed up that performance by getting blown out at home by Michigan State and things don't appear to be getting any easier with a road game against Purdue up next.
The Nittany Lions rank fourth in the Big Ten in league games in free-throw percentage, shooting nearly 77 percent, though, so I guess it's not all bad.
13. Minnesota (6-10, 0-4)
Last week: 86-77 loss at Penn State; 77-52 loss vs. Northwestern
This week: Tuesday at Nebraska; Saturday vs. Indiana
One of two winless teams still remaining in conference play, Minnesota has an opportunity to get its first league win of the season Tuesday at Nebraska.
The Gophers have been outscored by an average of 11.8 points in their four Big Ten games and their *closest* loss in the league came in an eight-point defeat to Michigan State on Jan. 2 when the Spartans played without Valentine.
14. Rutgers (6-11, 0-4)
Last week: 88-63 loss at Maryland; 90-56 loss vs. Nebraska
This week: Wednesday at Ohio State
I guess things can't get worse for the Scarlet Knights, but that's about all you can say.
Rutgers is losing Big Ten games by an average of 22 points as the Scarlet Knights have only kept one of their league games to date within a 20-point margin. Rutgers plays Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State over its next five games so an 0-9 start in the Big Ten is a real possibility.
Maybe it can get worse.
