Dan Siegel gives his Big Ten basketball power rankings heading into week 16 of the 2023-24 season.
Matchup of the week: None
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Iowa vs. Michigan State (Feb. 20 – 7 p.m.)
All games in EST.
*Note: The last Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings were in week 14.
1) Purdue Boilermakers
Record: 23-3 (12-3)
Last week: W vs. Minnesota (84-76), L at Ohio State (73-69)
Next week: vs. Rutgers (Feb. 22 – 7 p.m.), at Michigan (Feb. 25 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: Tennessee, Arizona, Marquette, Illinois, Alabama, at Wisconsin, Northwestern, Gonzaga, Samford, Xavier
Bad losses: at Ohio State
Losing to the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes, with an interim head coach, is certainly embarrassing. Still, their resume is strong enough to stay in the top 3 of the AP Poll and CBB Review rankings. There is a very clear formula to beat Purdue: you make it difficult to feed Zach Edey on offense and outshoot them from deep. That requires them being off their A-game though, which is not very common.
2) Illinois Fighting Illini
Record: 19-6 (10-4)
Last week: W vs. Michigan (97-68), W at Maryland (85-80)
Next week: at Penn State (Feb. 21 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. Iowa (Feb. 24 – 2:15 p.m.)
Quality wins: FAU, Michigan State, Northwestern, Nebraska
Bad losses: Maryland
Illinois is in a solid position where they usually take care of business, but cannot win tough games on the road or against top-ten teams. Because of the amount of parity in the sport, their 6-loss status still earns them a #12 ranking in the AP Poll. The Illini have strung together five wins in their last six and Terrance Shannon is playing his best basketball.
3) Northwestern Wildcats
Record: 18-8 (9-6)
Last week: L at Rutgers (63-60), W at Indiana (76-72)
Next week: vs. Michigan (Feb. 22 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: Purdue, Illinois, Dayton, Michigan State, Nebraska
Bad losses: Chicago State
The second tier of this conference is very clustered but I will give the nod to the team that has beaten each of the top two at some point this year. In the Wildcats’ last two wins, Boo Buie has not eclipsed 15 points, yet they found other sources of production. That is a good sign.
4) Michigan State Spartans
Record: 17-9 (9-6)
Last week: W at Penn State (80-72), W at Michigan (73-63)
Next week: vs. Iowa (Feb. 20 – 7 p.m.), vs. Ohio State (Feb. 25 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: Illinois, Baylor, Butler, Indiana State
Bad losses: James Madison
Yes, we all overrated the Spartans in the preseason but they have fully communicated who they really are over time: a tournament team that belongs on the outskirts of the top 25. The metrics continue to love them and that is likely due to the fact that they are competitive in virtually all of their losses. Michigan State is another squad that is hot, winners of their last three and five of their last six.
5) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Record: 18-8 (8-7)
Last week: W vs. Penn State (68-49)
Next week: at Indiana (Feb. 21 – 8:30 p.m.), vs. Minnesota (Feb. 25 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Purdue, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan State, at Kansas State
Bad losses: None
Not much has gone on with Nebraska recently, as they cruised to an easy win against Penn State in their only game last week. If they maintain a positive record in Big Ten play, they should stay on the right side of the bubble.
6) Wisconsin Badgers
Record: 17-9 (9-6)
Last week: W vs. Ohio State (62-54), L at Iowa (88-86)
Next week: vs. Maryland (Feb. 20 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: Marquette, Michigan State (x2), Nebraska, Virginia
Bad losses: at Penn State, at Michigan
Contrary to the teams discussed above, the Badgers are headed in the wrong direction. The Ohio State victory snapped a four-game losing streak but they proceeded to lose to Iowa the following weekend. For a team that was in the national top ten and the biggest challenger to Purdue not too long ago, Wisconsin needs to re-right the ship quickly.
7) Iowa Hawkeyes
Record: 15-11 (7-8)
Last week: L at Maryland (78-66), W vs. Wisconsin (88-86)
Next week: at Michigan State (Feb. 20 – 7 p.m.), at #12 Illinois (Feb. 24 – 2:15 p.m.)
Quality wins: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Seton Hall
Bad losses: Michigan, at Penn State
In typical Fran McCaffery fashion, this Iowa team cannot defend for their life. Except they do not have an elite offense to compensate either. They did squeak one out against a struggling Wisconsin team so boosts them to the top half of the conference rankings.
8) Minnesota Golden Gophers
Record: 16-9 (7-7)
Last week: L at #2 Purdue (84-76), W vs. Rutgers (81-70)
Next week: vs. Ohio State (Feb. 22 – 8 p.m.), at Nebraska (Feb. 25 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Northwestern, Michigan State, Nebraska
Bad losses: Missouri, San Fransisco, at Ohio State
Not much to write home about with this resume, but at the very least they are winning most of the bottom-tier Big Ten games. Minnesota had an eight-point halftime lead over Purdue last week, which would have been their first headline win if they were able to pull it off.
9) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Record: 14-11 (6-8)
Last week: W vs. Northwestern (63-60), L at Minnesota (81-70)
Next week: at #3 Purdue (Feb. 22 – 7 p.m.), vs. Maryland (Feb. 25 – Noon)
Quality wins: Wisconsin, at Seton Hall, Northwestern, Nebraska
Bad losses: Princeton, at Ohio State, Penn State
The great coach that he is, Steve Pikiell is figuring out how to salvage something with his current roster. However, most Rutgers fans are ready to turn the page into next year with their monster incoming recruiting class.
10) Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 15-11 (5-10)
Last week: L at Wisconsin (62-54), W vs. #2 Purdue (73-69)
Next week: at Minnesota (Feb. 22 – 8 p.m.), at Michigan State (Feb. 25 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: Purdue, Alabama
Bad losses: at Penn State, at Michigan
You know what? Credit where credit is due. Amidst a rough year, and days after the firing of head coach Chris Holtmann, the Buckeyes took down Purdue. The crowd fully embraced it and it was an emotional moment for interim Jake Diebler. This alone moves Ohio State up a couple of spots in the Big Ten Basketball Power Ranking, and is a feel-good moment for a program that has not had a lot to be excited about.
11) Indiana Hoosiers
Record: 14-11 (6-8)
Last week: L vs. Northwestern (76-72)
Next week: vs. Nebraska (Feb. 21 – 8:30 p.m.), at Penn State (Feb. 24 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Penn State
Indiana is a frustrating case as it feels like there is un-maximized potential once again. They have a potential first-round pick in 7-footer Ke’lel Ware and talented pieces around him, but the offense is stagnant and completely unproductive. They can’t defend much either. Disappointment all around.
12) Maryland Terrapins
Record: 14-12 (6-9)
Last week: W vs. Iowa (78-66), L vs Illinois (85-80)
Next week: at Wisconsin (Feb. 20 – 9 p.m.), at Rutgers (Feb. 25 – Noon)
Quality wins: at Illinois
Bad losses: Davidson, at UAB
The Terps came close to knocking off Illinois twice, somehow. Other than that, there is nothing that impresses me and that non-conference resume is brutal.
13) Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 12-14 (6-9)
Last week: L vs. Michigan State (80-72), L at Nebraska (68-49)
Next week: vs. #12 Illinois (Feb. 22 – 6:30 p.m.), at Indiana (Feb. 24 – Noon)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Bucknell, Georgia Tech, at Ohio State
It’s a rebuilding year for Mike Rhoades. Time will tell whether he can build a consistent winner in this program.
14) Michigan Wolverines
Record: 8-18 (3-12)
Last week: L at #14 Illinois (97-68), L vs. Michigan State (73-63)
Next week: at Northwestern (Feb. 22 – 9 p.m.), vs. #3 Purdue (Feb. 25 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Long Beach State, at Penn State, Rutgers
Shame on me for ever believing this in this team in any way. This year has been a disaster.