It was a relatively quiet basketball week across the Big Ten — especially for the Spartans.
Michigan State had the week off and will return to the court on Wednesday in a home matchup against Oakland. But the rest of the league was in action with some results that altered our weekly Big Ten basketball power rankings.
See where the Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten teams land in our latest batch of power rankings:
14
Minnesota
Record: 5-6 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Minnesota snapped a five-game losing streak this week with a victory over Arkansas Pine Bluff. The double-digit win was needed for the Golden Gophers after a tough recent stretch.
13
Nebraska
Record: 6-6 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Nebraska remains one spot ahead of the basement in the Big Ten despite another losing week. The Cornhuskers dropped their lone game this week — a neutral court matchup against Kansas State.
Click here for more coverage from Cornhuskers Wire on Nebraska basketball
12
Michigan
Record: 7-3 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Michigan continues to find ways to win in uninspiring performances — this week it was against Lipscomb. The Wolverines need a strong finish to avoid a home upset in their lone game this week and continue to live on the edge this year. Eventually, they’ll get burned.
Click here for more coverage from Wolverines Wire on Michigan basketball
11
Northwestern
Record: 8-2 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Northwestern dominated cross-city rival DePaul in their lone game this week. This won’t go down as a season-defining win but the Wildcats are continuing to pile up wins and putting themselves in a position to contend for a NCAA Tournament bid if they experience success in conference play.
10
Iowa
Record: 8-3 (0-1 in Big Ten)
Iowa took the floor only once this week but looked impressive in their only game — a 31-point victory over Southeast Missouri State. The Hawkeyes have the offensive firepower to rise in these rankings once Kris Murray returns to the lineup.
Click here for more coverage from Hawkeyes Wire on Iowa basketball
9
Rutgers
Record: 7-4 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Rutgers picked up an impressive convincing victory over Wake Forest in their lone action this week. This was a type of win the Scarlet Knights needed to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume as a fringe bubble team.
Click here for more coverage from Rutgers Wire on Rutgers basketball
8
Maryland
Record: 8-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Maryland’s fast start to the season has hit a screeching halt. The Terps were blown out at home this week against UCLA, losing by nearly 30 points. Maryland has now lost three straight and will look to get back on track next week against Saint Peter’s.
7
Pe nn State
Record: 8-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Penn State made easy work of Canisius to improve to 8-3 on the season and remain firmly in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Nittany Lions have a pair of winnable non-conference games before returning to league play against Iowa on New Year’s Day.
Click here for more coverage from Nittany Lions Wire on Penn State basketball
6
Michigan State
Record: 7-4 (1-1 in Big Ten)
The Spartans had the week off and they frankly deserved it after a brutal start to the year. Michigan State will host Oakland on Wednesday evening and then Buffalo next week as their final two non-conference games of the year.
5
Indiana
Record: 8-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Losing at Kansas doesn’t come as a surprise but how the Hoosiers were beaten was alarming. This coming off a blowout loss to Arizona last week as well. Indiana has plenty of room for growth right now.
4
Illinois
Record: 8-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Illinois — like many in the Big Ten this week — has a tune-up matchup as their only game this week and took care of business. The Fighting Illini did sleep walk a bit in the second half to let Alabama A&M claw back into the game, but as I pointed out last week, consistency is an issue for this team so that was no surprise.
3
Ohio State
Record: 7-3 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Ohio State let one slip away against North Carolina on Saturday. The Buckeyes only took to the court once this week, and looked primed for a big-time win over the Tar Heels but couldn’t close out the game. This was still an impressive performance, overall, and proves the Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the league at the moment.
Click here for more coverage from Buckeyes Wire on Ohio State basketball
2
Wisconsin
Record: 9-2 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Wisconsin took care of business in their lone game this week, picking up a double-digit win over Lehigh. The Badgers remain near the top of the Big Ten and shouldn’t be tested again until they head to Illinois on Jan. 7.
1
Purdue
Record: 11-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Purdue used a big performance from Zach Edey to survive an upset scare from Davidson on Saturday evening. The win keeps Purdue unbeaten on the year and in our top power rankings spot by a decent margin.
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