Mat Mlodzinski gives his Big Ten basketball power rankings heading into week 11 of the season.
Week 10 team of the week: Wisconsin
Week 10 game of the week: Wisconsin – 91, Michigan – 88
Week 10 player of the week: Braden Smith, Purdue
Week 11 matchup of the week: #5 Purdue at USC (Jan. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Week 11 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Wisconsin at Minnesota (Jan. 13 – 7 p.m.)
All games listed are EST
1) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Last week’s ranking: 3 (+2)
Record: 16-0 (5-0)
Last week: W at Ohio State (72-69), W at Indiana (83-77)
Next week: vs. Oregon (Jan. 13 – 9 p.m.), at Northwestern (Jan. 17 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Illinois, Michigan State, at Ohio State, at Indiana, Wisconsin, Creighton, Oklahoma, New Mexico
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 0/10
The Cornhuskers run college basketball. Simple as that.
2) Purdue Boilermakers
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 15-1 (5-0)
Last week: W vs. Washington (81-73), W vs. Penn State (93-85)
Next week: vs. Iowa (Jan. 14 – 6:30 p.m.), at USC (Jan. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Alabama, Texas Tech, at Wisconsin, Auburn
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 1.5/10
Other than some close games lately, Braden Smith is playing out of his mind and Purdue is playing for a one seed.
3) Michigan Wolverines
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-2)
Record: 14-1 (4-1)
Last week: W at Penn State (74-72), L vs. Wisconsin (91-88)
Next week: at Penn State (Jan. 6 – 7 p.m.), vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 10 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins: Gonzaga (Neutral), Villanova, Auburn (Neutral), at TCU, USC, San Diego State (Neutral)
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 3/10
Games have been closer than usual and then the first loss of the season. I still believe in Michigan, but maybe the loss to the Badgers was good for them.
4) Illinois Fighting Illini
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-)
Record: 13-3 (4-1)
Last week: W vs. Rutgers (81-55), W at #19 Iowa (75-69)
Next week: at Northwestern (Jan. 14 – 8:30 p.m.), vs. Minnesota (Jan. 17 – Noon)
Quality wins: Texas Tech, at Ohio State, at Iowa, Tennessee, Missouri
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 1.5/10
Illinois is playing perfect – coasting along through Big Ten basketball play while picking up quality wins AND staying below the radar.
5) Michigan State Spartans
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)
Record: 14-2 (4-1)
Last week: W vs. USC (80-51), W vs. Northwestern (76-66)
Next week: vs. Indiana (Jan. 13 – 7 p.m.), at Washington (Jan. 17 – TBD)
Quality wins: North Carolina, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, USC
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 2.5/10
Virtually nothing to worry about if you’re Michigan State, other than maybe trying to improve the seed line as the season moves forward.
6) Wisconsin Badgers
Last week’s ranking: 12 (+6)
Record: 11-5 (3-2)
Last week: W vs. UCLA (80-72), W at #2 Michigan (91-88)
Next week: at Minnesota (Jan. 13 – 7 p.m.), vs. Rutgers (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Michigan, UCLA
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 2/10
Wisconsin had the best week of anyone in Big Ten basketball, so if you think there’s any panic at all (besides continuing that success into week 11), you’re kidding yourself.
7) Indiana Hoosiers
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-)
Record: 12-4 (3-2)
Last week: W at Maryland (84-66), L vs. #10 Nebraska (83-77)
Next week: at #12 Michigan State (Jan. 13 – 7 p.m.), vs. Iowa (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: at Minnesota
Panic meter: 3/10
Indiana is a football school, remember? Until then, nothing to panic about!
8) UCLA Bruins
Last week’s ranking: 8 (-)
Record: 11-5 (3-2)
Last week: L at Wisconsin (80-72), W vs. Maryland (67-55)
Next week: at Penn State (Jan. 14 – 8:30 p.m.), at Ohio State (Jan. 17 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 4/10
It’s been the same story all season long for UCLA, so much, that you just have to understand the rebounding issue likely won’t get fixed. So for that reason, it’s not panic, but just accepting they’ll have to find other ways to get the job done.
9) Iowa Hawkeyes
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-3)
Record: 12-4 (2-3)
Last week: L at Minnesota (70-67), L vs. #16 Illinois (75-69)
Next week: at #5 Purdue (Jan. 14 – 6:30 p.m.), at Indiana (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: UCLA
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 6/10
The panic meter can certainly fluctuate, but after a winless week 10, it’s up a bit for the Hawkeyes.
10) Minnesota Golden Gophers
Last week’s ranking: 13 (+3)
Record: 10-6 (3-2)
Last week: W vs. #19 Iowa (70-67), L vs. USC (70-69)
Next week:
Quality wins: Indiana, Iowa
Bad losses: San Francisco
Panic meter: 4/10
After a rough start to the season, Niko Medved and Minnesota have settled in and picked up some solid wins. I’m even looking at the Golden Gophers as a dark horse to make the big dance.
11) USC Trojans
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-1)
Record: 13-3 (2-3)
Last week: L at #12 Michigan State (80-51), W at Minnesota (70-69)
Next week: vs. Maryland (Jan. 13 – 10:30 p.m.), vs. #5 Purdue (Jan. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: Seton Hall (Neutral)
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 5.5/10
After a great start to the season, conference play hasn’t been as kind. The Trojans need to pick up some crucial wins to stay in the March Madness conversation.
12) Washington Huskies
Last week’s ranking: 14 (+2)
Record: 10-6 (2-3)
Last week: L at #5 Purdue (81-73), W vs. Ohio State (81-74)
Next week: vs. #4 Michigan (Jan. 14 – 10:30 p.m.), vs. #12 Michigan State (Jan. 17 – TBD)
Quality wins: at USC, Ohio State
Bad losses: at Seattle
Panic meter: 5/10
Washington has been one of the most mid teams in Big Ten basketball all season long, so while panic may not be high, the Huskies need to figure it out soon. Luckily, they’ve got two great chances this week.
13) Ohio State Buckeyes
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-4)
Record: 11-5 (3-3)
Last week: L vs. #10 Nebraska (72-69), W at Oregon (72-62), L at Washington (81-74)
Next week: vs. #10 Nebraska (Jan. 5 – 6:30 p.m.), at Oregon (Jan. 8 – 10:30 p.m.), at Washington (Jan. 11 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: West Virginia
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 7/10
Bruce Thornton is having a career year, but the Buckeyes aren’t looking like an NCAA Tournament team. Wasting his talent may be a sign that Ohio State could enter the coaching carousel sooner rather than later.
14) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Last week’s ranking: 18 (+4)
Record: 9-8 (2-4)
Last week: W vs. Oregon (88-85), L at #16 Illinois (81-55), W vs. Northwestern (77-75)
Next week: at Wisconsin (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: CCSU
Panic meter: 7/10
For Rutgers, winning two games in one week may be a curse in disguise, because it might mean holding on to Steve Pikiell for another season, and that just doesn’t seem like the best option.
15) Penn State Nittany Lions
Last week’s ranking: 17 (+2)
Record: 9-7 (0-5)
Last week: L vs. #2 Michigan (74-72), L at #5 Purdue (93-85)
Next week: vs. UCLA (Jan. 14 – 12:30 p.m.), at Maryland (Jan. 18 – Noon)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: Pitt
Panic meter: 6/10
Sure, Penn State hasn’t won a Big Ten basketball game yet, but they only lost by a combined 10 points to Michigan and Purdue in the same week. That’s worthy of a small celebration in itself.
16) Northwestern Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 16 (-)
Record: 8-8 (0-5)
Last week: L at #12 Michigan State (76-66), L at Rutgers (77-75)
Next week: vs. #13 Illinois (Jan. 14 – 8:30 p.m.), vs. #8 Nebraska (Jan. 17 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: at Rutgers
Panic meter: 8/10
Northwestern didn’t have high expectations to start the season, but now it’s about whether or not Chris Collins has already hit his peak with this program. The Boo Buie days may be long gone.
17) Oregon Ducks
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-3)
Record: 8-8 (1-4)
Last week: L at Rutgers (88-85), L vs. Ohio State (72-62)
Next week: at #8 Nebraska (Jan. 13 – 9 p.m.), vs. #4 Michigan (Jan. 17 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Panic meter: 9.5/10
If you can’t win with Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle, it’s a huge concern. When Shelstad isn’t on the court, you wonder if Oregon can even survive the rest of the Big Ten basketball slate.
18) Maryland Terrapins
Last week’s ranking: 15 (-3)
Record: 7-9 (0-5)
Last week: L vs. Indiana (84-66), L at UCLA (67-55)
Next week: at USC (Jan. 13 – 10:30 p.m.), vs. Penn State (Jan. 18 – Noon)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: Georgetown
Panic meter: 9/10
It’s year one of Buzz Williams in Maryland, but when you already have questions about whether or not he was the right hire, you know it’s not a great situation.