The Indiana basketball team is struggling to find traction in the crazy Big Ten this year. Because of this, they are stuck right in the middle of a tough conference.
The Big Ten conference is as deep as it has ever been. Currently, there are 12 teams looking like they have realistic shots to make the tournament. A lot can change in the last month, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if all 12 of those teams see their name called on selection Sunday.
Preseason favorite Michigan State is only a half-game out of first but is currently looking up at two teams and have two other teams with the same amount of losses as them. Penn State just beat them in East Lansing and Rutgers almost won at Maryland.
The conference has been incredibly tough to win on the road and winning at home is almost a given unless you are Michigan who has now lost three straight at home, two in heartbreaking fashion.
Indiana is on a three-game losing streak currently, but if one of those games would have been different they would be right near the top of the conference.
So what does this mean when ranking the teams in the conference? It is about as fluid as it has ever been. One week a team looks ready to make a run and then drops two in a row. Other teams that look left for dead pull off an unexpected upset. The middle of the Big Ten has been ranked and not ranked and then ranked again in consecutive weeks.
But while there may be craziness in the standings it makes for great theater. Every game is a must-see event and while the Big Ten might not have the best team in the country they absolutely are the best conference.
We take a stab at ranking the teams, and split them up into tiers starting with the contenders.