Big Ten Power Rankings: Sparty on Top
1. Michigan State Spartans (19-4)
The Spartans are 9-2 in Big Ten action for a two-game lead in the conference standings. And they built their cushion the hard way by winning on the road where they are 7-0 this season. Michigan State always brings the defense and the rebounding but this group can also put points on the board in a hurry with Kalin Lucas pushing the ball up the court.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (17-5)
The Buckeyes are the hottest team in the league with four straight wins, three of them coming over Michigan, Purdue, and Minnesota. We’ll see if Evan Turner and company can keep rolling when they head out on the road for their next two.
3. Illinois Fighting Illini (19-5)
The Illini jump all the way up from the No. 5 spot last week on the tail of a big blowout win over Purdue. The Illini have struggled on the road this season though and have their next two away from home. They’ll have to get the job done away from home to prove they deserve this spot.
4. Purdue Boilermakers (17-6)
Purdue drops all the way down from the No. 1 spot last week as it has dropped two in a row since winning six straight. Purdue is still one of only two Big Ten teams, in my opinion, built to make a Final Four run. Michigan State is the other.
5. Wisconsin Badgers (14-9)
It looks like it’s going to be too little to late for the Big Dance for the Badgers but this team might just be able to get it via the automatic bid for winning the conference tournament. Back-to-back wins in the Big Ten says a lot right now and Wisconsin is coming off wins over Illinois and Penn State. The Badgers deserve to be up here. They have two losses in OT and another by 1-point to Purdue.
6. Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-5)
The Gophers have lost two in a row and four of six. Luckily they get Indiana at home tonight to get back on track.
7. Michigan Wolverines (15-9)
The Wolverines took it to Penn State with a 20-point blowout win and then played No. 1 ranked UConn to an 8-point game on the road. The Wolverines will look for a little home cooking tonight in a big in-state rivalry matchup with Michigan State.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (17-7)
The Lions drop 4 spots this week as they have gotten pancaked with back-to-back double digit losses by Michigan and Wisconsin. Scoring only 44 points in a 10-point loss to Wisconsin at home in their last game was pathetic.
9. Northwestern Wildcats (13-8)
Losing at Iowa cuts the Cats down to size after enjoying time at the No. 6 spot last week. While a win over Chicago State on Feb. 4 made their record look a little bit better, it was far from impressive.
10. Iowa Hawkeyes (13-11)
Iowa ended a 4-game skid with a big win over the aforementioned at home Saturday. Defensively, Iowa is among the league’s elite, allowing just 58.9 points per game (15th in the country), but the Hawks struggle to score. If the three aren’t falling, the Hawks are usually in trouble.
11. Indiana Hoosiers (6-16)
The Hoosiers picked up a much-needed win over Iowa to collect their first Big Ten win of the season. Then they were handed a harsh dose of reality with a 28-point loss to the Spartans.
Check out Jimmy’s college basketball betting power rankings each week to help you gain a better feel for the teams in each of the major conference. If you need help beating the basketball lines, try Jimmy Boyd’s basketball picks on for size this week!
