The Big Ten is hitting its home stretch in a short stretch of time, and every single team has looked dangerous at one point of the season or another. With some big games yet to be played, here are the mid-February power rankings for the Big Ten. Please note that Michigan State's and Ohio State's player stats referenced are up-to-date as of before their game today, but their records and profiles reflect the game's result.
1. Michigan: 23-3 (12-3)
It is so tight at the top that three separate teams can make a case to be at the head of the power rankings. Since the last iteration of these power rankings came out, Michigan has lost thrice, all three times on the road, including at last place Penn State. Their offense has ranged from stellar in spurts to lackluster and cold. Still, at this moment I believe they remain the top team in the Big Ten. The elite defense is still, well, elite. They are KenPom's second most-efficient defense in the country, only behind Texas Tech, and sit easily atop the Big Ten with their gap only lessened by Wisconsin when factoring in only conference games. The team, despite offensive woes, seems to be learning as the season goes on to be playing as a team. The positive signs of Ignas Brazdeikis passing better and continuing to shoot 38% from three on primarily catch-and-shoot threes points to development in the wing-man's game. Zavier Simpson makes this team go, as well, and Charles Matthews is rounding back into form at a crucial time for the Wolverines as he was the leading scorer in the last three games while averaging 18.7 points on 63.2% shooting. There are still, of course, concerns with the side: slowing Simpson means you have a great shot at beating Michigan (see: Penn State), Jordan Poole's shooting is a serious concern, and there is a supreme lack of bench depth still. In spite of all that, this is a Michigan team that should quite easily slip into a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament.
2. Michigan State: 21-5 (12-3)
Three straight losses gave them a black eye, including a home loss to an ice-cold Indiana team and an away defeat at Illinois. Still, Michigan State have been able to turn it on in other games, like a trip to the Kohl Center, that keep them worthy of number two in the power rankings. Still, they are KenPom's highest-ranked Big Ten team at number four in the country, with the sixth-best offense and ninth-best defense in the country. Joshua Langford being ruled out for the season seemed to be a morale blow, but coming off of three straight impressively-fashioned wins means that they are still in prime position to control their own destiny. They are led by Cassius Winston, of course, whose PORPAGATU! of 6.1 is tied for fourth in the country, and tops the Big Ten. He is shooting an astounding 45%, combined with Matt McQuaid's near-43% give the Spartans two elite-shooting options. You can also combine that with a huge improvement by McQuaid on the defensive end as well. They have been lucky to have the depth that they do, given the injury to Langford, Kyle Ahrens being injured, and a scare with Kenny Goins, but the key is that freshman Aaron Henry has stepped up in the starting line-up and played well enough to provide good reason for optimism for the future. Ditto to Gabe Brown, who has seen less minutes in general, but will be just as important for the Spartans as a collective going forward. Finally, Nick Ward has had some rough outings as of late, but if he can get going, MSU will be looking like a team that can play deep into March.
3. Purdue: 18-7 (11-3)
A win at Maryland and the Boilermakers are likely in the top spot of these rankings. 9-1 in their last ten, only a frigid <20% second half against the Terps, away from home, has blemished their recent record. With a win at home over Michigan State as their statement victory, Purdue have been locked in. They possess the most efficient offense in the conference, and fourth-best in the entire nation. Carsen Edwards is, of course, the leader of the team, but Ryan Cline has been a second option, and an outstanding one at that. Prior to a zero-for-four night against Penn State yesterday, he had been shooting just over 52% from three over the entirety of 2019. Edwards has been putting up obscene point totals this season with five games of thirty or more points. Still, it is about the supporting cast around him (and Cline, for that matter) that have really made Purdue dangerous. The Boilermakers have ten players that are averaging double-figure minutes in at least twenty games played. Nojel Eastern's story as of late has centered around his free throw improvement, but his all-around game is rather impressive as well. There are also young players like Aaron Wheeler and Eric Hunter who are playing important minutes and look set to be able to play three more incredibly productive seasons under Matt Painter. Finally, in terms of bigs, Trevion Williams has won a starting spot thanks to great rebounding and strong physical presence on the blocks both on offense and defense, but Matt Haarms has also been looking superb recently and seems likely to win it back permanently. There are still concerns about the team, like what if the threes are not falling? Regardless, they are perhaps the most dangerous team in the conference currently.
4. Wisconsin: 17-8 (9-5)
There is a definite top-three 'tier' of the Big Ten, but Wisconsin at four marks the next tier of teams with copious amounts of talent, seeming locks for the NCAA Tournament, and still an outside shot at a Big Ten Championship. The Badgers doled Michigan their first loss of the season in Madison, but the Wolverines avenged that loss at home. They also lost at home for the third time this season against Michigan State in what was a big win for the Spartans. That said, Wisconsin is now staring down a very favorable schedule as the team with the fifth-best defense in the country according to KenPom is getting four straight games with under-.500 teams in the conference, and three against the bottom three in the standings. They then welcome Iowa before heading to Columbus to battle Ohio State. With easily the easiest remaining schedule of the remaining teams in the hunt, the Badgers have a golden opportunity to play themselves into the title hunt. They will likely go as far as Ethan Happ will take them, but the do-everything point-center cannot do everything on his own. His supporting cast, which has struggled in losses, needs to perform to their abilities in order for Wisconsin to reach their full potential. D'Mitrik Trice has shot 33.3% or worse in ten games. Five of those were losses. They are 12-2 in the fourteen in which he has done better. That is simply a micro chasm of what the supporting cast mean to Wisconsin.
5. Maryland: 19-7 (10-5)
A Maryland that rattled off six straight conference wins at one point, they have cooled down slightly, but still remain right in the mix for a double-bye for the Big Ten Conference Tournament. A win over Purdue at home was a high point, but they still remain incapable of beating a ranked team on the road under Mark Turgeon with opportunities against Wisconsin and Michigan both going wanting in just February alone. The Terps are 0-18 under Turgeon on the road against ranked opponents, which is certainly troubling in the regular season. They are led by Bruno Fernando down low and Anthony Cowan at the guard position. Both have PORPAGATU!s above 4.0 and are certainly set to be All-Big Ten players, Fernando likely a First Team selection, Cowan probably a Second or Third Team choice. Fernando averages a double-double while shooting nearly 76% from the free throw line, making him a massive NBA prospect in the immediate future. Cowan, on the other hand, is a shifty guard similar to Carsen Edwards, albeit the junior has slightly less-impressive numbers than last season. The stable of three freshmen, though, may be the most exciting thing about Maryland. Jalen Smith is a 6'10" force on the court that plays the same time as Fernando while Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins are deadly long-range marksmen who are shooting 44.8% and 42.6%, respectively, with a strong sample size. There are critiques of this team and Turgeon that Maryland fans are ready to express, but the fact is that if, and that's a big if, Maryland somehow returns all possible players next season, they are certainly going to be at the top of the list of Big Ten contenders.
6. Iowa: 20-5 (9-5)
This Iowa team is probably interchangeable at five with Maryland, but the defense is still a concern for this team. If Iowa misses two separate late-game shots, they are 18-7 (7-7) with losses at home to Northwestern and at Rutgers, and are dangerous, but probably nowhere near this second-tier of power ranked teams. Instead, a Jordan Bohannon three and a Joe Wieskamp banked-three mean that Iowa continues along with a pair of home games against Maryland and Indiana to attempt to strengthen their standing in the Big Ten. Four players have double-figure points per game, a fifth (Isaiah Moss) has 9.9, and all four players in double-figure scoring have PORPAGATU!s of over 3.5. Iowa is very similar to Maryland in composition: a young team with two bigs on the court, led by a pair of guards that shoot frequently from deep, but Iowa's difference is a more physically-dominating wing in Wieskamp. The freshman has been superb this season with 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 52% overall, that's almost 45% from three and 59.3% from two. Tyler Cook is the main man, though, averaging 16.3 points and 8.1 rebounds, while Luka Garza is at 13.5 points per game with a near-unstoppable touch from mid-range as a 6'11" center. This is a tough Iowa team that plays with a serious home court advantage. With a fairly-favorable remaining schedule, watch out for the Hawkeyes.
7. Minnesota: 17-9 (7-8)
The two tiers of the Big Ten are great-to-very, very good teams. Minnesota is part of a two-team tier that is right in the NCAA Tournament picture, but not at the point of cracking into a top-six. After four straight losses, Minnesota clocked Indiana with a twenty-plus point victory at home over the Hoosiers extended IU's misery and stopping their own. They are a tough team all-around, as evidenced by the fact that four players average in double-figures and (like Iowa) a fifth is close (Dupree McBrayer has 9.4 points per game). Their deadly shooter is Gabe Kalscheur, who is shooting 40% and had a massive night against the Hoosiers with twenty points on six-for-eight shooting from three. Another side with two bigs generally on the court, Jordan Murphy is the senior that makes the team operating as he averages a double-double with fifteen points and nearly twelve rebounds per game. Daniel Oturu is the prized freshman that is averaging 10.8 points and seven rebounds per game and the top-fifty freshman is shooting 56.5% from the field. Finally, of course, there is Amir Coffey. Coffey is averaging a team-high 15.5 points per game and despite a 31.8% mark from deep, he is key in setting up the offense as a bigger point guard. They are not a bubble team at this moment, they are doing well enough to stay above it, but a remaining schedule featuring two winnable road games, a trip to Maryland, and two big home games against top three sides means they can play themselves firmly into the big dance, play themselves out of it with a 0-5 or 1-4 stretch, or hold serve and keep squarely on the bubble with a 2-3 performance.
8. Ohio State: 16-9 (6-8)
Joining Minnesota in that fringe tier is Chris Holtmann's Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite the losses that have plagued them this season, primarily at home against Illinois and on the road to Rutgers, the Buckeyes are in a good place in terms of positioning within the NCAA Tournament. Projected as a high nine seed on BracketMatrix, they took care of business outside of a loss at Syracuse in the non-conference. That has allowed them a good handful of slip-ups, including a five-game losing streak, in the Big Ten. Their Big Ten wins are nothing to write home about, the best of which is an away victory against Nebraska who lost Isaac Copeland Jr. in that game, but they possess four Q1 victories when using NET, as the selection committee will. C.J. Jackson and Kaleb Wesson are the guard/big duo that have been top performers this season, but the wing play of Andre Wesson and Luther Muhammad has also been necessary to balance out scoring. Additionally, Kyle Young is also a huge boost for the offense with his whopping 72.5% field goal percentage. He's also just a sophomore. This OSU team is very much 'what you see is what you get' in terms of a resume. Nothing stands out as great, but nothing is glaringly bad. A road win against Cincinnati is something that looks better and better for OSU, but they need a bit more to move them up in terms of seeding.
9. Illinois: 10-15 (6-8)
Power rankings look at teams as they are playing right now. Illinois is finally clicking into place. Illinois have won four straight and five of their last six while playing some outstanding basketball. The two guards, Trent Frazier and Ayo Dosunmu, are running the show currently, but freshman big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili is worthy of praise himself. Over the win streak, Dosunmu is averaging sixteen points while shooting 46% as Frazier is averaging 14.5 points (with a thirty-point outing in a tough loss to Minnesota immediately before) while a 45.2% mark. I have noted previously in my Illinois game preview that Frazier and Dosunmu had rarely been on the same page and would need to do so for Illinois to reach their full potential. They are finally at that level, and things are looking incredibly bright at the moment. Not to be forgotten, Bezhanishvili has topped them both by averaging eighteen per game with 65.2% shooting, this largely thanks to a fourteen-for-eighteen night with 35 points against Rutgers. Brad Underwood has needed time, but this is a Fighting Illini team that are finally rounding into shape, and with a four-star top-fifty center in Kofi Cockburn coming next season, positive energy is starting to radiate in Illinois. That said, this season, Illinois are likely going to need to win out and take a pair of games in the conference tournament in order to get themselves to the big dance.
10. Rutgers: 12-13 (5-10)
The bottom of the Big Ten is full of talented teams, but there are struggles abound in the remaining five sides. Highest-ranked of them is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. That is a weird sentence to those who have followed Big Ten basketball since Rutgers has made their debut in the conference, but Steve Pikiell has done wonders for these Knights. Since a blowout loss at Purdue and a home loss against Northwestern, Rutgers have been 4-4 with an overtime loss to Illinois and a loss to a buzzer-beater against Iowa. Nowhere near the upper-mid range of the Big Ten, Rutgers still has their flaws in terms of talent, but they are improving overall in that area. Eugene Omoruyi is still just a junior and Geo Baker just a sophomore. The two are clearly the top Scarlet Knights, Omoruyi is averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds while Baker sits at thirteen points and four assists, but a stable of up-and-coming freshmen like Montez Mathis, Ron Harper Jr., Caleb McConnell, and Myles Johnson all provide hope that Rutgers can grow as a collective in the near future. The rebuild of Rutgers has been an impressive job, and no matter what the final record may be, they are well-and-truly on the right track.
11. Nebraska: 15-11 (5-10)
Nebraska was touted as a potential 'best team in school history' by some in the fan base, and perhaps some in the media too. They were 13-6 in games where Isaac Copeland was available for the full game. Not great, but clearly they were well within reach of an NCAA Tournament berth. Then Copeland went down, and so too did the ship. A seven-game losing streak has been righted with a pair of wins over Minnesota and Northwestern, both at home, but the famously tough to play at home Cornhuskers need more than that at this stage in the season to save their year. The Huskers are still on the bubble, aided greatly by advanced metrics loving this team as they sit 33rd in KenPom rankings. Regardless, Nebraska's time is running out. An away trip to Penn State starts a string of the final five games for them, in which they play all three of the top three teams in the Big Ten, as well as hosting Iowa in their final game of the season. Thomas Allen returning to the starting five and less bench minutes have been key for Tim Miles' side's two most recent games (and wins) but when your top three players are seniors, as is a fourth starter, and another player in Isaiah Roby seems sure to at least test the NBA Draft waters, things are now concerning for not just the rest of this season, but also next. James Palmer, the Miami transfer, continues to play out of this world with 18.8 points per game and a single game in single-digit scoring, but he and his fellow senior Glynn Watson can only do so much. A short bench and limited scoring from players outside the current big three of those two and Roby mean that defense needs to be key.
12. Indiana: 13-12 (4-10)
Indiana is 2-10 in 2019. They have two wins this calendar year: Illinois at home on January 3rd, and Michigan State on the road on February 2nd. The illogicality of that second win is not lost on anyone. Calling Indiana a train wreck right now would be correct. One simply has to look at minute-distributions from one game to the next to realize that Archie Miller knows something is off and he is desperate to fix it. The most recent game saw De'Ron Davis and Devonte Green get starting nods. The game before, it was Davis and Green off the bench in favor of Rob Phinisee and Justin Smith. Zach McRoberts was sidelined with injury, but he was a starter before that injury has left him out and unable to play. Things just simply are not working in Bloomington. Romeo Langford has been much-improved lately, going for 17.2 points per game, his current seasonal average, on 40.7% shooting from three in the last five games. Juwan Morgan was injured in the game against Michigan State, but IU still won, and he still remains a key piece of this Indiana team. What is the problem is that no one other than Langford and Morgan seems able to step up. That is a massive problem when neither Langford nor Morgan are set to be in Bloomington next year. Trayce Jackson-Davis is a top-twenty recruit, but Langford was ranked even higher. Indiana needs more from those already within the program.
13. Penn State: 9-16 (2-12)
2-2 in their last four, Penn State snatched a huge season defining win over Michigan at home. Lamar Stevens was the leader then, and he has been the entire season. The most-durable player in the Big Ten, Stevens is still just a junior as he leads a side with four of five starters on any given night being set to return next season. Offensive struggles are made up for by defensive proficiency, helped greatly by the lanky Stevens, the quick Reaves, and Jamari Wheeler, who seems set to replace Reaves as a defensive nuisance next season. I simply do not think they are deep enough to contend, however. They still are fragile with leads, you can even look at the Michigan victory to see them nearly collapse in chaotic fashion, and Patrick Chambers is squarely on the hot seat. A four-deep recruiting class, including yet another Roman Catholic product in Seth Lundy, reloads the Nittany Lions yet again after a class this season has included Myles Dread, who has been performing lights-out since returning to the starting line-up with a 42.3% three-point percentage, and Rasir Bolton, the point guard of the future. After winning the NIT last season, however, expectations were a bit higher than normal. They need to be fulfilled at some point.
14. Northwestern: 12-13 (3-11)
Northwestern are currently riding a six-game losing streak, and things are looking bleak. They are, by a substantial margin, the lowest-efficiency offensive team in the Big Ten. Led by a pair of senior, Dererk Pardon and Vic Law are finding themselves increasingly responsible for carrying the load of this team, and, in fact, they are the only two players with PORPAGATU! ratings of over 2.0. Whether it has been Pete Nance out ill with mono, or Aaron Falzon stepping up for one game then fading back, or Barret Benson being charged with a starter's role he is not equipped for, Northwestern has had plenty of rotational problems. Ryan Taylor has been nowhere near good enough for the Wildcats as he has averaged just 7.3 points on 28.6% shooting from three over the last seven games, with just one of those in double-figure scoring. This is going to be a team led by Anthony Gaines and A.J. Turner next season, but the problem is that neither player has showcased anything that would imply that one or the other can be a number one option. Ditto for Miller Kopp, a nice piece to the team but not an offensive all-star. This is an under-performing freshman class with another class of two power forwards and a three-star point guard, so incredibly similar to this one. The Wildcats need a huge late-season turnaround to right the ship.
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1. Michigan: 23-3 (12-3)
It is so tight at the top that three separate teams can make a case to be at the head of the power rankings. Since the last iteration of these power rankings came out, Michigan has lost thrice, all three times on the road, including at last place Penn State. Their offense has ranged from stellar in spurts to lackluster and cold. Still, at this moment I believe they remain the top team in the Big Ten. The elite defense is still, well, elite. They are KenPom's second most-efficient defense in the country, only behind Texas Tech, and sit easily atop the Big Ten with their gap only lessened by Wisconsin when factoring in only conference games. The team, despite offensive woes, seems to be learning as the season goes on to be playing as a team. The positive signs of Ignas Brazdeikis passing better and continuing to shoot 38% from three on primarily catch-and-shoot threes points to development in the wing-man's game. Zavier Simpson makes this team go, as well, and Charles Matthews is rounding back into form at a crucial time for the Wolverines as he was the leading scorer in the last three games while averaging 18.7 points on 63.2% shooting. There are still, of course, concerns with the side: slowing Simpson means you have a great shot at beating Michigan (see: Penn State), Jordan Poole's shooting is a serious concern, and there is a supreme lack of bench depth still. In spite of all that, this is a Michigan team that should quite easily slip into a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament.
2. Michigan State: 21-5 (12-3)
Three straight losses gave them a black eye, including a home loss to an ice-cold Indiana team and an away defeat at Illinois. Still, Michigan State have been able to turn it on in other games, like a trip to the Kohl Center, that keep them worthy of number two in the power rankings. Still, they are KenPom's highest-ranked Big Ten team at number four in the country, with the sixth-best offense and ninth-best defense in the country. Joshua Langford being ruled out for the season seemed to be a morale blow, but coming off of three straight impressively-fashioned wins means that they are still in prime position to control their own destiny. They are led by Cassius Winston, of course, whose PORPAGATU! of 6.1 is tied for fourth in the country, and tops the Big Ten. He is shooting an astounding 45%, combined with Matt McQuaid's near-43% give the Spartans two elite-shooting options. You can also combine that with a huge improvement by McQuaid on the defensive end as well. They have been lucky to have the depth that they do, given the injury to Langford, Kyle Ahrens being injured, and a scare with Kenny Goins, but the key is that freshman Aaron Henry has stepped up in the starting line-up and played well enough to provide good reason for optimism for the future. Ditto to Gabe Brown, who has seen less minutes in general, but will be just as important for the Spartans as a collective going forward. Finally, Nick Ward has had some rough outings as of late, but if he can get going, MSU will be looking like a team that can play deep into March.
3. Purdue: 18-7 (11-3)
A win at Maryland and the Boilermakers are likely in the top spot of these rankings. 9-1 in their last ten, only a frigid <20% second half against the Terps, away from home, has blemished their recent record. With a win at home over Michigan State as their statement victory, Purdue have been locked in. They possess the most efficient offense in the conference, and fourth-best in the entire nation. Carsen Edwards is, of course, the leader of the team, but Ryan Cline has been a second option, and an outstanding one at that. Prior to a zero-for-four night against Penn State yesterday, he had been shooting just over 52% from three over the entirety of 2019. Edwards has been putting up obscene point totals this season with five games of thirty or more points. Still, it is about the supporting cast around him (and Cline, for that matter) that have really made Purdue dangerous. The Boilermakers have ten players that are averaging double-figure minutes in at least twenty games played. Nojel Eastern's story as of late has centered around his free throw improvement, but his all-around game is rather impressive as well. There are also young players like Aaron Wheeler and Eric Hunter who are playing important minutes and look set to be able to play three more incredibly productive seasons under Matt Painter. Finally, in terms of bigs, Trevion Williams has won a starting spot thanks to great rebounding and strong physical presence on the blocks both on offense and defense, but Matt Haarms has also been looking superb recently and seems likely to win it back permanently. There are still concerns about the team, like what if the threes are not falling? Regardless, they are perhaps the most dangerous team in the conference currently.
4. Wisconsin: 17-8 (9-5)
There is a definite top-three 'tier' of the Big Ten, but Wisconsin at four marks the next tier of teams with copious amounts of talent, seeming locks for the NCAA Tournament, and still an outside shot at a Big Ten Championship. The Badgers doled Michigan their first loss of the season in Madison, but the Wolverines avenged that loss at home. They also lost at home for the third time this season against Michigan State in what was a big win for the Spartans. That said, Wisconsin is now staring down a very favorable schedule as the team with the fifth-best defense in the country according to KenPom is getting four straight games with under-.500 teams in the conference, and three against the bottom three in the standings. They then welcome Iowa before heading to Columbus to battle Ohio State. With easily the easiest remaining schedule of the remaining teams in the hunt, the Badgers have a golden opportunity to play themselves into the title hunt. They will likely go as far as Ethan Happ will take them, but the do-everything point-center cannot do everything on his own. His supporting cast, which has struggled in losses, needs to perform to their abilities in order for Wisconsin to reach their full potential. D'Mitrik Trice has shot 33.3% or worse in ten games. Five of those were losses. They are 12-2 in the fourteen in which he has done better. That is simply a micro chasm of what the supporting cast mean to Wisconsin.
5. Maryland: 19-7 (10-5)
A Maryland that rattled off six straight conference wins at one point, they have cooled down slightly, but still remain right in the mix for a double-bye for the Big Ten Conference Tournament. A win over Purdue at home was a high point, but they still remain incapable of beating a ranked team on the road under Mark Turgeon with opportunities against Wisconsin and Michigan both going wanting in just February alone. The Terps are 0-18 under Turgeon on the road against ranked opponents, which is certainly troubling in the regular season. They are led by Bruno Fernando down low and Anthony Cowan at the guard position. Both have PORPAGATU!s above 4.0 and are certainly set to be All-Big Ten players, Fernando likely a First Team selection, Cowan probably a Second or Third Team choice. Fernando averages a double-double while shooting nearly 76% from the free throw line, making him a massive NBA prospect in the immediate future. Cowan, on the other hand, is a shifty guard similar to Carsen Edwards, albeit the junior has slightly less-impressive numbers than last season. The stable of three freshmen, though, may be the most exciting thing about Maryland. Jalen Smith is a 6'10" force on the court that plays the same time as Fernando while Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins are deadly long-range marksmen who are shooting 44.8% and 42.6%, respectively, with a strong sample size. There are critiques of this team and Turgeon that Maryland fans are ready to express, but the fact is that if, and that's a big if, Maryland somehow returns all possible players next season, they are certainly going to be at the top of the list of Big Ten contenders.
6. Iowa: 20-5 (9-5)
This Iowa team is probably interchangeable at five with Maryland, but the defense is still a concern for this team. If Iowa misses two separate late-game shots, they are 18-7 (7-7) with losses at home to Northwestern and at Rutgers, and are dangerous, but probably nowhere near this second-tier of power ranked teams. Instead, a Jordan Bohannon three and a Joe Wieskamp banked-three mean that Iowa continues along with a pair of home games against Maryland and Indiana to attempt to strengthen their standing in the Big Ten. Four players have double-figure points per game, a fifth (Isaiah Moss) has 9.9, and all four players in double-figure scoring have PORPAGATU!s of over 3.5. Iowa is very similar to Maryland in composition: a young team with two bigs on the court, led by a pair of guards that shoot frequently from deep, but Iowa's difference is a more physically-dominating wing in Wieskamp. The freshman has been superb this season with 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 52% overall, that's almost 45% from three and 59.3% from two. Tyler Cook is the main man, though, averaging 16.3 points and 8.1 rebounds, while Luka Garza is at 13.5 points per game with a near-unstoppable touch from mid-range as a 6'11" center. This is a tough Iowa team that plays with a serious home court advantage. With a fairly-favorable remaining schedule, watch out for the Hawkeyes.
7. Minnesota: 17-9 (7-8)
The two tiers of the Big Ten are great-to-very, very good teams. Minnesota is part of a two-team tier that is right in the NCAA Tournament picture, but not at the point of cracking into a top-six. After four straight losses, Minnesota clocked Indiana with a twenty-plus point victory at home over the Hoosiers extended IU's misery and stopping their own. They are a tough team all-around, as evidenced by the fact that four players average in double-figures and (like Iowa) a fifth is close (Dupree McBrayer has 9.4 points per game). Their deadly shooter is Gabe Kalscheur, who is shooting 40% and had a massive night against the Hoosiers with twenty points on six-for-eight shooting from three. Another side with two bigs generally on the court, Jordan Murphy is the senior that makes the team operating as he averages a double-double with fifteen points and nearly twelve rebounds per game. Daniel Oturu is the prized freshman that is averaging 10.8 points and seven rebounds per game and the top-fifty freshman is shooting 56.5% from the field. Finally, of course, there is Amir Coffey. Coffey is averaging a team-high 15.5 points per game and despite a 31.8% mark from deep, he is key in setting up the offense as a bigger point guard. They are not a bubble team at this moment, they are doing well enough to stay above it, but a remaining schedule featuring two winnable road games, a trip to Maryland, and two big home games against top three sides means they can play themselves firmly into the big dance, play themselves out of it with a 0-5 or 1-4 stretch, or hold serve and keep squarely on the bubble with a 2-3 performance.
8. Ohio State: 16-9 (6-8)
Joining Minnesota in that fringe tier is Chris Holtmann's Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite the losses that have plagued them this season, primarily at home against Illinois and on the road to Rutgers, the Buckeyes are in a good place in terms of positioning within the NCAA Tournament. Projected as a high nine seed on BracketMatrix, they took care of business outside of a loss at Syracuse in the non-conference. That has allowed them a good handful of slip-ups, including a five-game losing streak, in the Big Ten. Their Big Ten wins are nothing to write home about, the best of which is an away victory against Nebraska who lost Isaac Copeland Jr. in that game, but they possess four Q1 victories when using NET, as the selection committee will. C.J. Jackson and Kaleb Wesson are the guard/big duo that have been top performers this season, but the wing play of Andre Wesson and Luther Muhammad has also been necessary to balance out scoring. Additionally, Kyle Young is also a huge boost for the offense with his whopping 72.5% field goal percentage. He's also just a sophomore. This OSU team is very much 'what you see is what you get' in terms of a resume. Nothing stands out as great, but nothing is glaringly bad. A road win against Cincinnati is something that looks better and better for OSU, but they need a bit more to move them up in terms of seeding.
9. Illinois: 10-15 (6-8)
Power rankings look at teams as they are playing right now. Illinois is finally clicking into place. Illinois have won four straight and five of their last six while playing some outstanding basketball. The two guards, Trent Frazier and Ayo Dosunmu, are running the show currently, but freshman big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili is worthy of praise himself. Over the win streak, Dosunmu is averaging sixteen points while shooting 46% as Frazier is averaging 14.5 points (with a thirty-point outing in a tough loss to Minnesota immediately before) while a 45.2% mark. I have noted previously in my Illinois game preview that Frazier and Dosunmu had rarely been on the same page and would need to do so for Illinois to reach their full potential. They are finally at that level, and things are looking incredibly bright at the moment. Not to be forgotten, Bezhanishvili has topped them both by averaging eighteen per game with 65.2% shooting, this largely thanks to a fourteen-for-eighteen night with 35 points against Rutgers. Brad Underwood has needed time, but this is a Fighting Illini team that are finally rounding into shape, and with a four-star top-fifty center in Kofi Cockburn coming next season, positive energy is starting to radiate in Illinois. That said, this season, Illinois are likely going to need to win out and take a pair of games in the conference tournament in order to get themselves to the big dance.
10. Rutgers: 12-13 (5-10)
The bottom of the Big Ten is full of talented teams, but there are struggles abound in the remaining five sides. Highest-ranked of them is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. That is a weird sentence to those who have followed Big Ten basketball since Rutgers has made their debut in the conference, but Steve Pikiell has done wonders for these Knights. Since a blowout loss at Purdue and a home loss against Northwestern, Rutgers have been 4-4 with an overtime loss to Illinois and a loss to a buzzer-beater against Iowa. Nowhere near the upper-mid range of the Big Ten, Rutgers still has their flaws in terms of talent, but they are improving overall in that area. Eugene Omoruyi is still just a junior and Geo Baker just a sophomore. The two are clearly the top Scarlet Knights, Omoruyi is averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds while Baker sits at thirteen points and four assists, but a stable of up-and-coming freshmen like Montez Mathis, Ron Harper Jr., Caleb McConnell, and Myles Johnson all provide hope that Rutgers can grow as a collective in the near future. The rebuild of Rutgers has been an impressive job, and no matter what the final record may be, they are well-and-truly on the right track.
11. Nebraska: 15-11 (5-10)
Nebraska was touted as a potential 'best team in school history' by some in the fan base, and perhaps some in the media too. They were 13-6 in games where Isaac Copeland was available for the full game. Not great, but clearly they were well within reach of an NCAA Tournament berth. Then Copeland went down, and so too did the ship. A seven-game losing streak has been righted with a pair of wins over Minnesota and Northwestern, both at home, but the famously tough to play at home Cornhuskers need more than that at this stage in the season to save their year. The Huskers are still on the bubble, aided greatly by advanced metrics loving this team as they sit 33rd in KenPom rankings. Regardless, Nebraska's time is running out. An away trip to Penn State starts a string of the final five games for them, in which they play all three of the top three teams in the Big Ten, as well as hosting Iowa in their final game of the season. Thomas Allen returning to the starting five and less bench minutes have been key for Tim Miles' side's two most recent games (and wins) but when your top three players are seniors, as is a fourth starter, and another player in Isaiah Roby seems sure to at least test the NBA Draft waters, things are now concerning for not just the rest of this season, but also next. James Palmer, the Miami transfer, continues to play out of this world with 18.8 points per game and a single game in single-digit scoring, but he and his fellow senior Glynn Watson can only do so much. A short bench and limited scoring from players outside the current big three of those two and Roby mean that defense needs to be key.
12. Indiana: 13-12 (4-10)
Indiana is 2-10 in 2019. They have two wins this calendar year: Illinois at home on January 3rd, and Michigan State on the road on February 2nd. The illogicality of that second win is not lost on anyone. Calling Indiana a train wreck right now would be correct. One simply has to look at minute-distributions from one game to the next to realize that Archie Miller knows something is off and he is desperate to fix it. The most recent game saw De'Ron Davis and Devonte Green get starting nods. The game before, it was Davis and Green off the bench in favor of Rob Phinisee and Justin Smith. Zach McRoberts was sidelined with injury, but he was a starter before that injury has left him out and unable to play. Things just simply are not working in Bloomington. Romeo Langford has been much-improved lately, going for 17.2 points per game, his current seasonal average, on 40.7% shooting from three in the last five games. Juwan Morgan was injured in the game against Michigan State, but IU still won, and he still remains a key piece of this Indiana team. What is the problem is that no one other than Langford and Morgan seems able to step up. That is a massive problem when neither Langford nor Morgan are set to be in Bloomington next year. Trayce Jackson-Davis is a top-twenty recruit, but Langford was ranked even higher. Indiana needs more from those already within the program.
13. Penn State: 9-16 (2-12)
2-2 in their last four, Penn State snatched a huge season defining win over Michigan at home. Lamar Stevens was the leader then, and he has been the entire season. The most-durable player in the Big Ten, Stevens is still just a junior as he leads a side with four of five starters on any given night being set to return next season. Offensive struggles are made up for by defensive proficiency, helped greatly by the lanky Stevens, the quick Reaves, and Jamari Wheeler, who seems set to replace Reaves as a defensive nuisance next season. I simply do not think they are deep enough to contend, however. They still are fragile with leads, you can even look at the Michigan victory to see them nearly collapse in chaotic fashion, and Patrick Chambers is squarely on the hot seat. A four-deep recruiting class, including yet another Roman Catholic product in Seth Lundy, reloads the Nittany Lions yet again after a class this season has included Myles Dread, who has been performing lights-out since returning to the starting line-up with a 42.3% three-point percentage, and Rasir Bolton, the point guard of the future. After winning the NIT last season, however, expectations were a bit higher than normal. They need to be fulfilled at some point.
14. Northwestern: 12-13 (3-11)
Northwestern are currently riding a six-game losing streak, and things are looking bleak. They are, by a substantial margin, the lowest-efficiency offensive team in the Big Ten. Led by a pair of senior, Dererk Pardon and Vic Law are finding themselves increasingly responsible for carrying the load of this team, and, in fact, they are the only two players with PORPAGATU! ratings of over 2.0. Whether it has been Pete Nance out ill with mono, or Aaron Falzon stepping up for one game then fading back, or Barret Benson being charged with a starter's role he is not equipped for, Northwestern has had plenty of rotational problems. Ryan Taylor has been nowhere near good enough for the Wildcats as he has averaged just 7.3 points on 28.6% shooting from three over the last seven games, with just one of those in double-figure scoring. This is going to be a team led by Anthony Gaines and A.J. Turner next season, but the problem is that neither player has showcased anything that would imply that one or the other can be a number one option. Ditto for Miller Kopp, a nice piece to the team but not an offensive all-star. This is an under-performing freshman class with another class of two power forwards and a three-star point guard, so incredibly similar to this one. The Wildcats need a huge late-season turnaround to right the ship.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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