This time of year many fans begin to turn their focus from the gridiron to the hardwood floor, and so will we with our weekly power rankings.
Like we did throughout the fall for football, Spartans Wire will begin a weekly Big Ten power rankings poll for men’s basketball. In our first batch of power rankings of the year, you’ll find the Spartans sitting right in the middle of a loaded Big Ten league and once they get healthier will have an opportunity to rise even higher.
See where the Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten teams land in our first batch of power rankings:
14
Minnesota
Record: 4-6 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Like in football, there is one clear-cut bottom team in the Big Ten and that is Minnesota on the court. The Golden Gophers are the lone Big Ten team not above .500 on the year and seem noticeably behind everyone else right now.
13
Nebraska
Record: 6-5 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Nebraska isn’t particularly good but they’re dangerous enough to beat anyone in this league. The Cornhuskers don’t have a bad loss on their resume yet this year and have a notable top 10 road win over Creighton. They also nearly upset Purdue this weekend so this is clearly a team that can ruin your night if you look past them.
12
Northwestern
Record: 7-2 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Spartans fans are well aware of what Northwestern is capable of after stunning Michigan State earlier this month. But overall, I’m still not sold on this team having long term success in the league. Like Nebraska, the Wildcats are a dangerous team that’ll get some upsets but at the moment nothing more than that.
11
Michigan
Record: 6-3 (1-0 in Big Ten)
I didn’t expect to have the Wolverines this low in our first power rankings but here we are after a lackluster start to the season. Michigan lacks a win over an NCAA Tournament quality team so far and has had scares against Eastern Michigan and Ohio. I fully expect Michigan to rise up these rankings over the coming weeks and months, but right now they’ve been disappointing.
10
Rutgers
Record: 6-4 (1-1 in Big Ten)
As always, Rutgers will be a tough out this year. The Scarlet Knights have already knocked off Indiana at home, and while this past week was rough, Rutgers will be in contention for a NCAA Tournament spot this year.
9
Iowa
Record: 7-3 (0-1 in Big Ten)
Iowa entered the season as a fringe NCAA Tournament bubble team but through their first 10 games seem to be clearly heading to the big dance. The Hawkeyes went 1-2 in a brutal stretch this week that included games against Duke (loss), Iowa State (win) and Wisconsin (loss in overtime) and won’t be happy about the losses but should be excited about the long term potential of this squad. Especially playing without star Kris Murray.
8
Penn State
Record: 7-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Penn State feels like an NCAA Tournament team — or at least one that’ll be on the bubble throughout the entire season. The Nittany Lions picked up a massive road victory over Illinois this weekend, and seems talented enough to grab some more similar wins throughout the rest of conference play.
7
Michigan State
Record: 7-4 (1-1 in Big Ten)
A healthy Michigan State team at full strength would be higher in these power rankings. Probably would also have a few more wins to go along with that. But regardless, the Spartans are in a good spot after picking up a pair of wins this week and finally getting some rest over the next few weeks.
6
Illinois
Record: 7-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
It’s been a wild few days for Illinois — who earlier in the week beat No. 2 Texas and then followed it up with a double-digit home loss to Penn State. The Fighting Illini have the pieces to win the Big Ten and maybe have the highest ceiling of any team in the conference — but right now they are very inconsistent from game-to-game and that will prevent them from reaching their ceiling if not resolved soon.
5
Ohio State
Record: 7-2 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Ohio State has had a quietly great start to the year so far. The Buckeyes had a strong showing in the Maui Invitational with wins over Cincinnati and Texas Tech, and opened Big Ten play with a buzzer beating win over Rutgers — although it was controversial. Regardless, the Buckeyes belong towards the top of the Big Ten as we hit the middle of December.
4
Maryland
Record: 8-2 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Maryland is right up there with Purdue and Wisconsin as the biggest surprises in the Big Ten this year. The Terps opened the year with eight straight wins but did drop a pair of tough games this past week at Wisconsin and against Tennessee. We will see how Maryland handles the tougher competition coming up but this is definitely one of the top teams in the league at the moment.
3
Wisconsin
Record: 8-2 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Wisconsin wasn’t supposed to even contend for a spot in the NCAA Tournament and once again they’re ready to win the league. The Badgers have gotten off to a great start to the year and could very well be ranked in the top 10 if a buzzer beater against Kansas didn’t go against them. Wisconsin is once again a top team in the Big Ten.
2
Indiana
Record: 8-2 (1-1 in Big Ten)
The preseason Big Ten favorites have been impressive thus far with only a pair of slip ups. Indiana didn’t look great against Arizona this weekend, but they still have the pieces to contend for the Big Ten title this year.
1
Purdue
Record: 10-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Purdue is off to an incredible start with a perfect 10-0 record at the moment. That includes notable victories over Marquette, West Virginia, Gonzaga and Duke. The Boilermakers will once again contend for a Big Ten title this year.
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