Nearing the halfway point in the Big Ten basketball season, it is time to unleash the current Big Ten power rankings. In order for Northwestern to accurately evaluate its tournament chances, the team has to improve its standing in the conference. After a marquee win against Michigan State, the 'Cats were blown out twice in a row by the Badgers and the Gophers and they now find themselves toward the bottom of the Big Ten pack. Ohio State, the No. 3 team in the nation, leads the rankings, while Penn State, the only team with an overall record below .500, sits at the bottom.
1. Ohio State, 17-3 (5-2): In their five conference wins, the No. 3 Buckeyes outscored opponents by an average of 26.8 points. Both conference losses to Indiana and Illinois came in close games on the road, and the Buckeyes avenged the Hoosier loss with a victory in Columbus when the two teams met again. With arguably the best player in the country, Jared Sullinger (17.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg), healthy, OSU is the clear favorite to win the conference.
2. Michigan State, 16-4 (5-2): The No. 11 Spartans flattened Purdue, 83-58, to rebound from losses to Northwestern and Michigan. Like Ohio State, both losses came in close games on the road. Draymond Green (15.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg) and Keith Appling (12.6 ppg, 4.0 apg) are fun to watch, and Tom Izzo always coaches well in the second half of the season. Still, this team just does not have the experience and depth to surpass Ohio State.
3. Wisconsin Badgers, 16-5 (5-3): Yes, that’s right: Wisconsin. The Badgers, ranked as high as seventh this season, dropped out of the AP Top 25 after consecutive Big Ten losses to Iowa, Michigan State and Michigan from Dec. 31-Jan. 8. The Badgers have since bounced back, winning four in a row. Now ranked at No. 25, Jordan Taylor (14.1 ppg) and the Badgers will look to prove voters right in a home tilt with No. 17 Indiana.
4. Indiana Hoosiers, 16-4 (4-4): Speaking of the No. 17 Hoosiers, do not forget about Indiana just yet. Three straight losses to Minnesota, Ohio State and Nebraska hurt, but Indiana recovered Sunday. After a slow start, Cody Zeller (15.1 ppg) and the Hoosiers romped the Nittany Lions, 73-54. Indiana hit a small speed bump like any young team should, but the boys of Bloomington should rediscover their game very soon. IU also only has three games against ranked opponents left on the schedule.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini, 15-5 (4-3): The Fighting Illini are truly unpredictable. Brandon Paul (14.0 ppg) and Meyers Leonard (13,3 ppg, 7.8 rpg) led the team to victories over national powerhouses Ohio State and Gonzaga, but the Illini lost to Penn State and Purdue. Although Illinois is currently on a two-game losing streak, it is clear they can pop at any moment. Look for them to bounce back on Saturday at Minnesota.
6. Michigan Wolverines, 15-5 (5-2): The No. 22 Wolverines are another unpredictable team in the conference. Michigan knocked off Michigan State, but sandwiched the win between losses to Iowa and Arkansas. Michigan has also come close to blowing home games against Minnesota and Northwestern. With four games left - two against Ohio State and games against Indiana and Michigan State - Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.1 ppg) and Trey Burke (14.6 ppg) will look to back their ranked reputation.
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers, 15-5 (3-4): How about the Golden Gophers? After opening Big Ten play with four straight losses (by an average of 7.3 points), Minnesota has erupted for three straight victories, including a win at Indiana and a 75-52 thrashing of Northwestern. Trevor Mbakwe (14.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg) has proven that he can be an explosive player and give Minnesota a chance to go dancing.
8. Purdue Boilermakers, 14-6 (4-3): The Robbie Hummel (15.4 ppg) reunion tour has cooled off and Purdue is looking weaker by the day. The Boilermakers have yet to defeat a ranked opponent and have losses against Butler and Penn State. This team does not have the explosive force like E’Twaun Moore or JaJuan Johnson to pair with Hummel. The Boilermakers also have a brutal schedule remaining with six dates with ranked opponents.
9. Northwestern Wildcats, 12-7 (2-5): Oh, boy. Despite all the high expectations in November, the ‘Cats have severely underachieved thus far. John Shurna (19.2 ppg) and Drew Crawford (16.9 ppg) are the highest scoring duo in the conference, but a lack of defense and rebounding has blocked NU from wins. The ‘Cats came within free throws of victories over Illinois and Michigan and they were tied with Creighton down the stretch. The win over Michigan State was sweet, but quickly faded with 20-plus-point losses to Wisconsin and Minnesota. NU only has three ranked opponents left on the schedule, which is a plus. If Dan Persa and Kain Colter led the football team to a second half-surge for bowl eligibility, why shouldn’t Shurna and Crawford be able to erupt and make the ‘Cats tournament eligible?
10. Iowa Hawkeyes, 11-9 (3-4): Coach Fran McCaffrey was criticized for throwing a chair during a 34-point loss to Michigan State, but his team responded with a 16-point victory over Michigan. The Hawkeyes have looked stellar in upsets of Michigan and Wisconsin but have also lost to Northern Iowa and Campbell. Iowa can be categorized as another unpredictable Big Ten team.
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers, 10-9 (2-6): Opening Big Ten play with four losses, the Cornhuskers, in their first year in the conference, quickly learned there are no cupcakes in the Big Ten. They have rebounded with wins over Penn State and Indiana, but still have a long way to go before they become conference threats.
12. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-11 (2-6): The Talor Battle Era is over and things have returned to normalcy in University Park. Tim Frazier is a one-man wrecking crew who has led Penn State to surprise wins over Purdue and Illinois, but this team is still far from being competitive again in the Big Ten. Losses to Lafayette and Duquesne are embarrassing.