Mat Mlodzinski gives his Big Ten basketball power rankings heading into week 13 of the season.
Week 12 team of the week: Illinois Fighting Illini
Week 12 game of the week: #11 Illinois over #4 Purdue, 88-82
Week 12 player of the week: Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Week 13 matchup of the week: #5 Nebraska at #3 Michigan (Jan. 27 – 7 p.m.)
Week 13 under-the-radar matchup of the week: USC at Iowa (Jan. 28 – 7 p.m.)
All games listed are EST
1) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 20-0 (9-0)
Last week: W vs. Washington (76-66), W at Minnesota (76-57)
Next week: at #3 Michigan (Jan. 27 – 7 p.m.), vs. #9 Illinois (Feb. 1 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Illinois, Michigan State, at Ohio State, at Indiana, Wisconsin, Creighton, New Mexico
Bad losses:
The Cornhuskers are a WAGON! They are now one of three teams in the country at 20-0, and on Tuesday, they have a chance to show America on a national stage, taking on Michigan on the road. And this weekend? At home against Illinois. Time to see if they’re really a 1 seed!
2) Michigan Wolverines
Last week’s ranking: 3 (+1)
Record: 18-1 (8-1)
Last week: W vs. Indiana (86-72), W vs. Ohio State (74-62)
Next week: vs. #5 Nebraska (Jan. 27 – 7 p.m.), at #7 Michigan State (Jan. 30 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: Gonzaga (Neutral), Villanova, Auburn (Neutral), Ohio State, San Diego State (Neutral), Indiana, USC, at TCU, at Washington
Bad losses:
Michigan seems to be hitting its stride again, which is key, heading into a week where they will take on a pair of top 10 teams in the span of four days. Even a 1-1 week would be applaudable, but if the Wolverines can find a way to go 2-0, there’s reason to say they’re the top team in the country once again.
3) Illinois Fighting Illini
Last week’s ranking: 5 (+2)
Record: 17-3 (8-1)
Last week: W vs. Maryland (89-70), W at #4 Purdue (88-82)
Next week: vs. Washington (Jan. 29 – 9 p.m.), at #5 Nebraska (Feb. 1 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Purdue, Texas Tech, at Ohio State, at Iowa, Tennessee, Missouri
Bad losses:
Illinois had the best win in Big Ten basketball last week, taking down Purdue on the road. And how about Keaton Wagler? The star freshman dropped 46 points at Mackey Arena. That’s got to be one of the coolest claims to have as a first-year college hooper. Illinois is on the road at Nebraska this weekend, now with a chance for a second top-five road win, and to join the conversation of teams that can win the national championship.
4) Michigan State Spartans
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-)
Record: 18-2 (8-1)
Last week: W at Oregon (68-52), W vs. Maryland (91-48)
Next week: at Rutgers (Jan. 27 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. #3 Michigan (Jan. 30 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, at Washington, Indiana, USC, Iowa
Bad losses:
Michigan State’s defense turned it up a notch last weekend, holding Oregon to 52 and Maryland to 48. That is a STATEMENT, especially with an offensive juggernaut in Michigan coming to East Lansing on Friday. Does Tom Izzo have another long March Madness run in him? It’s shaking up to look like it.
5) Purdue Boilermakers
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-3)
Record: 17-3 (7-2)
Last week: L at UCLA (69-67), L vs. #11 Illinois (88-82)
Next week: at Indiana (Jan. 27 – 9 p.m.), at Maryland (Feb. 1 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Alabama, Texas Tech, at Wisconsin, Auburn, at USC, Iowa
Bad losses:
At their best, Purdue can be a top-two team in Big Ten basketball. But like we saw this past week, they are also susceptible, whether it be on the road against a quality team or at home against another national title contender. After an 0-2 week, the Boilermakers turn to two road games at Indiana and Maryland – two they must win to get back on track.
6) UCLA Bruins
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+4)
Record: 14-6 (6-3)
Last week: W vs. #4 Purdue (69-67), W vs. Northwestern (71-64)
Next week: at Oregon (Jan. 28 – 11 p.m.), vs. Indiana (Jan. 31 – 5 p.m.)
Quality wins: Purdue
Bad losses:
UCLA had the most intriguing win of the week in Big Ten basketball, taking down Purdue for its first quality win of the season. And now, for a team still on the bubble, they’ve got one of the BEST wins in the country. If the Bruins can continue to stack conference wins, they’ve got at least one that can help their case come Selection Sunday.
7) Ohio State Buckeyes
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+1)
Record: 14-6 (6-4)
Last week: W vs. Minnesota (82-74), L at #3 Michigan (74-62), W vs. Penn State (84-78)
Next week: at Wisconsin (Jan. 31 – 2 p.m.),
Quality wins: UCLA, West Virginia
Bad losses:
Ohio State pretty much did what you’d expect over the past three games, taking down Minnesota and Penn State, and falling to Michigan. But the way the Buckeyes kept it close with the Wolverines – especially in the first half – does raise some eyebrows. Now, with a game at Wisconsin on Saturday, the Buckeyes can really look to make a late-season push toward getting a good seed in March Madness.
8) Iowa Hawkeyes
Last week’s ranking: 7 (1)
Record: 14-5 (4-4)
Last week: W vs. Rutgers (68-62)
Next week: vs. USC (Jan. 28 – 7 p.m.), at Oregon (Feb. 1 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Indiana, UCLA
Bad losses:
Iowa moves down to eighth in the Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings thanks to a close home win over Rutgers. But this week, the Hawkeyes take on a USC Trojans team in the same tier in this conference. It’ll be a big game for both teams to try to prove why they belong in the big dance.
9) USC Trojans
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-)
Record: 15-5 (4-5)
Last week: L vs. Northwestern (74-68), W at Wisconsin (73-71)
Next week: at Iowa (Jan. 28 – 7 p.m.), vs. Rutgers (Jan. 31 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Wisconsin, Seton Hall (Neutral)
Bad losses:
The Trojans had a very weird week, first falling at home against a Northwestern team that didn’t have a Big Ten basketball win going in. But then they won at Wisconsin, arguably their best win of the season. We’ll see if that carries over at Iowa on Wednesday.
10) Wisconsin Badgers
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-4)
Record: 14-6 (6-3)
Last week: W at Penn State (98-71), L vs. USC (73-71)
Next week: vs. Minnesota (Jan. 28 – 9 p.m.), vs. Ohio State (Jan. 31 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Michigan, UCLA
Bad losses:
It feels weird dropping Wisconsin in these power rankings, but you can’t really grade a win over Penn State, and they lost to USC at home. The Badgers still seem like a scary team to play in March, but they need to bounce back with two home games this week against Minnesota and Ohio State.
11) Indiana Hoosiers
Last week’s ranking: 12 (+1)
Record: 13-7 (4-5)
Last week: L at #3 Michigan (86-72), W at Rutgers (82-59)
Next week: vs. #12 Purdue (Jan. 27 – 9 p.m.), at UCLA (Jan. 31 – 5 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: at Minnesota
The Hoosiers ended a four-game losing streak, but it was against Rutgers, so there’s not much you can really say there. With Purdue and UCLA this week, IU can either re-join the conversation or totally phase out of the Big Ten.
12) Washington Huskies
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-1)
Record: 11-9 (3-6)
Last week: L vs. #7 Nebraska (76-66), W vs. Oregon (72-57)
Next week: at #9 Illinois (Jan. 29 – 9 p.m.), at Northwestern (Jan. 31 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: at USC, Ohio State
Bad losses: at Seattle
Like Indiana, Washington didn’t necessarily show much last week, but they did keep it close with Nebraska toward the end and coasted by Oregon at home. Washington is hanging on by a thread below the bubble, and could really use a road win at Illinois this week, before a must-win at Northwestern.
13) Northwestern Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 16 (+3)
Record: 9-11 (1-8)
Last week: W at USC (74-68), L at UCLA (71-64)
Next week: vs. Penn State (Jan. 29 – 8 p.m.), vs. Washington (Jan. 31 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: at USC
Bad losses: at Rutgers
Northwestern gets moved up out of the bottom tier of the Big Ten basketball power rankings after taking down USC on the road for its first quality win of the season. With two winnable home games this week, is it time to take stock in the Wildcats?
14) Minnesota Golden Gophers
Last week’s ranking: 11 (-3)
Record: 10-10 (3-6)
Last week: L at Ohio State (82-74), L vs. #7 Nebraska (76-57)
Next week: at Wisconsin (Jan. 28 – 9 p.m.), at Penn State (Feb. 1 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: Indiana, Iowa
Bad losses: San Francisco
After looking like a sleeper team in Big Ten basketball, the Golden Gophers have fallen down a bit, losers of five in a row. They have a great chance to break that at Penn State on Sunday, but maybe Niko Medved can even come up with a gameplan to upset the Badgers on Wednesday.
15) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Last week’s ranking: 15 (-)
Record: 9-11 (2-7)
Last week: L at Iowa (68-62), L vs. Indiana (82-59)
Next week: vs. #7 Michigan State (Jan. 27 – 6:30 p.m.), at USC (Jan. 31 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: CCSU
Rutgers went 0-2 and has now lost three straight, but losing by single digits on the road at Iowa certainly was a moral victory, if that’s even possible at this point for the Scarlet Knights. It’s a tough slate this week, as Steve Pikiell needs to finish strong to stick around for much longer.
16) Maryland Terrapins
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-2)
Record: 8-12 (1-8)
Last week: L at #11 Illinois (89-70), L at #10 Michigan State (91-48)
Next week: vs. #12 Purdue (Feb. 1 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: Georgetown
The Terps ran into arguably the two hottest teams in Big Ten basketball, and it showed, losing by a combined 62 points. With an angry Purdue team this weekend, it ain’t about to get any easier.
17) Oregon Ducks
Last week’s ranking: 17 (-)
Record: 8-12 (1-8)
Last week: L vs. #10 Michigan State (68-52), L at Washington (72-57)
Next week: vs. UCLA (Jan. 28 – 11 p.m.), vs. Iowa (Feb. 1 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
I’m starting to feel sad for Dana Altman if his outstanding college basketball coaching career will come to an end on a sour note like this. It’s looking like Oregon may not even win 10 games all season.
18) Penn State Nittany Lions
Last week’s ranking: 18 (-)
Record: 9-11 (0-9)
Last week: L vs. Wisconsin (98-71), L at Ohio State (84-78)
Next week: at Northwestern (Jan. 29 – 8 p.m.), vs. Minnesota (Feb. 1 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: Pitt
With zero Big Ten basketball wins in nine tries, Penn State is holding on to the bottom of these power rankings yet again. We’ll see if they can get out with two winnable games against NW and Minnesota this week.