Ethan Carbone gives his Big Ten basketball power rankings heading into week 4 of the 2023 season.
Matchup of the week: Marquette vs Wisconsin
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Illinois vs Rutgers
All games listed are EST
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 6-0
Last week: W vs. Gonzaga (73-63), W vs Tennessee (71-67), W vs Marquete (78-75)
Next week: vs. Texas Southern (Nov. 28 – 8:30 p.m.), @. Northwestern (Dec. 1 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: Xavier, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Marquette
Bad losses: N/A
Purdue played in the Maui Invitational this past week and played against three top-caliber teams, defeating them all. Edey averaged 25.3 PPG and 13 RPG throughout the past week’s games as he’s been a front-runner for the National Player of the Year yet again. Purdue was able to show that they can play the best of the best in a short period of time earning them the number one overall ranking for the AP vote.
2. Illinois Fighting Illini
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 5-1 (0-0)
Last week: W vs Western Illinois (84-52)
Next week: @Rutgers (Dec. 2– 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Illinois played and conquered Western Illinois. Their stout defense under Brad Underwood showed again. The Illini will be dependent on the fast break as well as made threes as they were able to show and accomplish in their game this week. Playing at Rutgers has been a struggle for them in the past and with it being their lone game this week it’s important to start off conference season with a W.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Last week’s ranking: 9 (+6)
Record: 5-1 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. Alabama (92-81), W vs Santa Clara (86-56)
Next week: vs Central Michigan (Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.), Minnesota (Dec. 3 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Alabama
Bad losses: N/A
Ohio State made up for their football team’s loss this week in a big way by knocking off a top-25 Alabama team as Bruce Thronton played like he was the best guard in the Big Ten putting up 29 points and 4 assists. Rodney Gayle also added 23 in a game where the Buckeyes made 55% of their three-pointers. Ohio State showed that they will be able to be a formidable opponent for the Big Ten and with their duo at the guard spots not many teams can stand up to them.
4. Wisconsin Badgers
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+4)
Record: 4-2 (0-0)
Last week: W vs Virginia (65-41), W vs SMU (69-61).
Next week: vs Western Illinois (Nov. 27 – 7 p.m.), vs Marquette (Dec. 2 – 12:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Virginia
Bad losses: N/A
After not the best week last week, the Badgers bounced back up to a point where they will need to keep winning in order to keep their spot. Wisconsin beating Virginia and then SMU reminded us how gritty a Greg Gard-coached team can be. It’s a tough game this week, but if Crowl and Wahl can continue to step it up they will have a punchers chance against Marquette.
5. Michigan Wolverines
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-2)
Record: 4-3 (0-0)
Last week: L vs. Memphis (71-67), W vs. Stanford (83-78), L vs. Texas Tech (73-57)
Next week: @ Oregon (Dec. 2– 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Long Beach State
Michigan was edged out by Memphis then edged out Stanford before they were taken to town by Texas Tech. The loss to Memphis is acceptable but the two games following that were subpar for Michigan’s standards of the Howard era. They’ll need to pick it up if they want to reclaim a spot in the top three.
6. Michigan State Spartans
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-2)
Record: 3-3 (0-0)
Last week: L vs. Arizona (74-68)
Next week: vs Georgia Southern (Nov 28 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses:
It’s hard to punish a team after losing to a good Arizona team, however Ohio State and Wisconsin did enough that prove they belong in the top third of these rankings while MSU has yet to prove that they do. Michigan State couldn’t get a ton of production from their bigs and with conference season coming soon they’ll need to handle that. Michigan State’s guard play was highly praised heading into this year but they cannot do everything for the Spartans.
7. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-)
Record: 7-0 (0-0)
Last week: W vs Dusquesne (89-79), W vs Cal State Fullerton (85-72)
Next week: vs Creighton (Dec. 3 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Nebraska is 7-0 and they just played a Duquesne team that’s ranked 80 in Kenpom and beat them by ten. Mast and Tominga have shined the past two games and looking ahead they’ll have to show their true worth. They now have to take on a Creighton team that lost by 21 to Colorado State and if they want their undefeated record to continue then Nebrasketball will need to shine.
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-3)
Record: 5-2 (0-0)
Last week: L vs. Oklahoma (79-67), W vs. Seton Hall (85-72)
Next week: vs North Florida (Nov. 29 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Iowa gets pushed down by not playing quality enough competition and not playing as well as they need to against the teams they do play against. Oklahoma is a top-25 team, however, the fact that Iowa never had a lead in the the game is unacceptable. The Hawkeyes can score the ball but unless their defense picks up it’s easy to see why they’re in a free fall.
9. Northwestern Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-3)
Record: 4-1 (0-0)
Last week: N/A
Next week: vs Northern Illinois (Nov. 27 – 8 p.m.), vs Purdue (Dec. 1- 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Northwestern didn’t play and others did below them and played better so they get punished. They play Purdue this week so that could bounce them into a higher ranking.
10. Indiana Hoosiers
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)
Record: 5-1 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. Lousiville (74-66), W vs.Harvard (89-76)
Next week: vs. Maryland (Dec. 1 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
The Hoosiers beat two teams that they were supposed to beat, one of which should’ve almost definitely been by double digits. Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware have been a formidable duo in the frontcourt but the guardplay of Indiana will need to improve if they want to compete for a Big Ten Title. If Indiana can go three and one in their next four games they’ll be a top-half team for sure.
11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-1)
Record: 4-1 (0-0)
Last week: N/A
Next week: vs Illinois (Dec. 2– 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Princeton
Rutgers did not play and will look to beat Illinois at home as they have in past seasons.
12. Penn State Nittany Lions
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 4-3 (0-0)
Last week: L vs. Texas A&M (89-77), L vs. Butler (88-78), L vs VCU (86-74)
Next week: vs. Bucknell (Dec. 2 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Penn State dropped three in a row including one to their head coach and star player’s former school, something that nobody would have wanted coming into the year. However, Ace Baldwin, the former VCU star did put on a show scoring 27 points. Penn State will need to pick it up after a horrible week.
13. Maryland Terrapins
Last week’s ranking: 14 (+1)
Record: 3-3 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. UMBC (92-68), W vs South Alabama (68-55)
Next week: vs. Rider (Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.), @ Indiana (Dec. 1 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Maryland has bounced back with two wins and should manage a third in a row against Rider. Young and Reese have been leading this squad and will need to continue if the Terrapins want to bounce back from an ugly start to the season. Maryland has the talent to be a top half of the Big Ten team but if they do not manage to win the games they’re supposed to then they will have no hope of making it even as a bubble team come Selection Sunday.
14. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-1)
Record: 4-2 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (86-67), L @ San Francisco (76-58).
Next week: vs New Orleans (Nov. 29 – 7 p.m.), @ Ohio State (Dec. 3 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Minnesota beat who they were expected to and lost to a team that it was expected they’d lose to. They’re expected to go 1-1 again this week but they aren’t beating quality teams. Minnesota was the consensus pick for last in the Big Ten but they’ll have an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong against Ohio State
Click here to view last week’s Power Rankings