It was an up-and-down week for the Spartans but the good news for Michigan State is that it ended on major positive note.
The Spartans were able to bounce back from a midweek loss at Minnesota to earn a Quad 1 win over Illinois on Saturday. That win improved Michigan State to 15-9 overall and pushed the Spartans one step closer to sealing another trip to the NCAA Tournament.
So where does Michigan State sit in our updated power rankings?
See where Michigan State and the rest of the league lands in our weekly Big Ten basketball power rankings below:
14
Michigan
Record: 8-16 (3-10 in Big Ten)
We got the full Michigan experience this week, with the Wolverines upsetting Wisconsin but then falling flat on their face at Nebraska in a blowout loss. The Wolverines possess the talent to beat good teams at home but just haven’t put it all together enough this year — hence why they are at the bottom of our power rankings.
13
Ohio State
Record: 14-10 (4-9 in Big Ten)
If Ohio State has any chance of saving its season, it may have started on Saturday night in an overtime win over Maryland. The Buckeyes had lost eight of their last nine before the win over Maryland.
12
Indiana
Record: 14-10 (6-7 in Big Ten)
Indiana rallied to get a much-needed win over Ohio State early in the week but then was overmatched by rival Purdue on Saturday night. The Hoosiers seem to be good enough to beat anyone in the Big Ten (minus Purdue) but also lack what’s needed to string together enough wins to make the NCAA Tournament.
11
Maryland
Record: 13-11 (5-8 in Big Ten)
It was a bad week for the Terps who lost close games to Rutgers and Ohio State. The Terps have now dropped three straight games and are going the wrong way in their pursuit of making the NCAA Tournament.
10
Iowa
Record: 14-10 (6-7 in Big Ten)
Iowa put together a massive 20-point comeback on Sunday afternoon to knockoff Minnesota and avoid an 0-2 week. The Hawkeyes remain to be one of the best offensive teams in the country but its lack of defense will also prevent them from elevating to the top-tier of the Big Ten.
9
Penn State
Record: 12-12 (6-7 in Big Ten)
Penn State has started to play better basketball and the results are following. The Nittany Lions three-game winning streak was snapped at Northwestern on Sunday, but this is a much-improved team from earlier this year.
8
Rutgers
Record: 13-10 (5-7 in Big Ten)
After a tough start to the year, Rutgers appears to have found some rhythm and is getting hot down the stretch. The Scarlet Knights have won three straight games, which includes a road win over Maryland and a blowout home win over Wisconsin this past week.
7
Minnesota
Record: 15-8 (6-6 in Big Ten)
Minnesota had a good week, but it should have been a great week. The Golden Gophers let a massive lead slip away on the road at Iowa on Sunday, and that win would have paired nicely with the upset of Michigan State earlier in the week.
6
Wisconsin
Record: 16-8 (8-5 in Big Ten)
Just a week ago, Wisconsin was playing for the top spot in our power rankings against Purdue. The Badgers lost that game and followed it up with two more disappointing losses this past week at Michigan and Rutgers. Wisconsin has lost four straight games and is in dire need of a win right now.
5
Nebraska
Record: 17-8 (7-7 in Big Ten)
Nebraska at home is one of the best teams in the Big Ten (maybe even the country). But away from home, the Cornhuskers continue to struggle. That was evident again this week, with Nebraska losing at Northwestern but then smacking around Michigan at home over the weekend.
4
Michigan State
Record: 15-9 (7-6 in Big Ten)
Michigan State was able to rebound nicely from Tuesday’s loss at Minnesota in a must-win home game against Illinois. The Spartans continue to have one of the highest ceilings in the Big Ten but also struggle with consistency from game to game. If Michigan State can figure out that consistency, they’ll move up even further in our rankings.
3
Northwestern
Record: 17-7 (8-5 in Big Ten)
Northwestern took care of business this week, and protected their home court with a pair of wins over Nebraska and Penn State. The more notable thing to monitor, though, for the Wildcats is the health of star guard Ty Berry — who is out indefinitely.
2
Illinois
Record: 17-6 (8-4 in Big Ten)
Illinois will be kicking themselves over blowing their second-half lead at Michigan State, but overall the performance at the Breslin Center was a strong one for the Fighting Illini. Illinois sits as the clear No. 2 to Purdue at this point in the year.
1
Purdue
Record: 22-2 (11-2 in Big Ten)
Purdue continues to prove why it’s the best team in the Big Ten and probably the country too. The Boilermakers made easy work of rival Indiana on Saturday night to grab hold of the Big Ten title race by two games.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.
