With the second installment of these Big Ten power rankings, there has been a lot of movement between the teams as some teams are getting hot and others are beginning to falter. With half of the season now in the books, teams need to pull it all together if they want to be able to make a push for the NCAA Tournament in March.
There are still a lot of games left in the Big Ten, and teams could make a run that no one expects, so buckle in as the second half of the season is underway.
Previous ranking: 18
The Minnesota Golden Gophers still sit at the bottom of the Big Ten and still have yet to get their first Big Ten win. However, they no longer have the worst record in the conference, as Rutgers is also 8-8 on the season. The Golden Gophers are currently on a three-game losing streak and will look to get their first Big Ten win against Maryland today.
Previous ranking: 16
The Huskies are struggling in their first season in the Big Ten, and this past week was full of ranked opponents as Washington has taken on Illinois, Michigan State, and Michigan in their last three games. Washington is currently on a three-game losing streak and will face their fourth ranked opponent in a row as they take on Purdue.
Previous ranking: 14
Rutgers has had a tough season so far, but if there is one bright spot in the fact that they are 8-8 and 1-4 in the Big Ten, it is star freshman Ace Bailey, who is the Scarlet Knights second-leading scorer, averaging 18.9 points per game and 7.6 rebounds. If Rutgers wants to keep him around after this season, they're going to need to pick things up.
Previous ranking: 17
Northwestern is in the same boat as Minnesota, Washington, adn Rutgers, as the Wildcats are also on a three-game losing streak. Northwestern faced No. 16 Michigan State and No. 20 Purdue in their past two games and have to take on Maryland and No. 20 Michigan in the next week.
Previous ranking: 9
With the football season officially over for Penn State, the focus can now go to the basketball team, or at least a little bit of focus. The Nittany Lions have not been one to do much when it comes to basketball season, and it looks like that is going to continue. Penn State is also on a current three-game losing streak dating back to their loss against Illinois and then No. 13 Illinois and No. 15 Oregon and now must face No. 12 Michigan State on the road.
Previous ranking: 13
USC suffered a tough loss against Indiana to start off their week last week, but they were able to hand Illinois their second loss in Big Ten play in a surprise upset. The Trojans went to Champaign and were able to take down the No. 13 Fighting Illini 82-72. Now the Trojans have to take on a hot Iowa team at home, and they continue a tough Big Te schedule.
Previous ranking: 12
Right now, no one is paying much attention to basketball at Ohio State with the football team in the National Championship. The Buckeyes are flying under the radar right now in basketball as they are just 10-6 on the season and 2-3 in Big Ten play. With just two ranked wins on the season, Ohio State's dreams of making the NCAA Tournament are getting further and further away.
Previous ranking: 7
UCLA seemed to be heading in the right direction until they went to Nebraska and fell to the Cornhuskers and have dropped their two games since to Michigan and Maryland. After starting Big Ten play 2-1, the Bruins are now 2-3 and falling behind in the conference. UCLA head coach Mick Cronin made his thoughts on his team clear after the loss to Michigan, sending shock waves through college basketball.
Previous ranking: 6
After the big win over UCLA last week, Nebraska has since fallen from grace with two straight losses against Iowa and No. 20 Purdue. The Cornhuskers seemed to be on track to making their appearance in the AP Top 25, but two straight losses have now made that harder for Nebraska and hurting their NCAA Tournament resume.
Previous ranking: 15
After a slower start to conference play, Maryland was able to split their two games in the last week with a loss to No. 9 Oregon but a win over No. 22 UCLA. The Terrapins have a favorable schedule in their next three games as they take on the bottom two teams in the Big Ten, with Minnesota and Northwestern on the docket.
Previous ranking: 11
The Iowa Hawkeyes seem to be getting hot at a good time, as they have now won two in a row and have a favorable schedule ahead of them. The Hawkeyes were able to handle business against Nebraska and Indiana and have USC, UCL, Minnesota, Penn State, and Ohio State before they take on ranked Purdue and Wisconsin teams. This is the time when the Hawkeyes build their resume for the NCAA Tournament.
Previous ranking: 10
The Wisconsin Badgers are probably one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten right now, as they are on a five-game win streak and have gone from 1-2 in the Big Ten to 3-2 with three straight Big Ten wins. The Badgers were able to take down a hot Iowa team, shut down a solid-scoring Rutgers team, and get back what could have been a trap game against Minnesota.
Previous ranking: 4
Illinois was playing really well, but the loss to USC could not have come at a worse time for the Fighting Illini. Illinois is set to take on Indiana tomorrow and then has to travel to Michigan State and could easily go from 4-2 in the Big Ten this week to 4-4 next week.
Previous ranking: 3
The Hoosiers were getting hot, but an even hotter Iowa team was able to cool them down with a tough loss in Iowa City. After a five-game win streak, the Hoosiers struggled to stop the Iowa offense and get good enough shots for themselves. However, they have a chance to bounce back and take down a ranked Illinois team and get a good character win.
Previous ranking: 8
After a slower start in the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks remembered who they are and have picked it up in the last week. The Ducks have now won three games in a row with solid wins over Maryland, Ohio State, and Penn State. They will be tested as they take on No. 17 Purdue this week in what will be. a top-tier ranked matchup.
Previous ranking: 5
Along with Wisconsin, Purdue is really getting hot as they match the Badgers with a five-game win streak of their own with solid wins against Rutgers and Nebraska. The Boilermakers dropped 1-4 points on the Cornhuskers and held them to just 68 points on the day.
Previous ranking: 2
Michigan remains undefeated in the Big Ten and is also on a five-game win streak, with solid wins over three of the four new Big Ten teams in the last three games. The Wolverines have some easy games coming up with Minnesota and Northwestern coming up, but then they face a hot Purdue team.
Previous ranking: 1
The Spartans remain at the top of these power rankings as they are still undefeated in the Big Ten and have the best record of every Big Ten team at 14-2. Michigan State is currently riding a nine-game win streak that could prove to become more and more dangerous the longer it gets. The Spartans have a game against Penn State on deck but then face a sneaky Illinois team.