We’re just about halfway through the college basketball season, which means we have some steady resumes for the Big Ten. Let’s rank the teams in the conference with two months to go until Selection Sunday.
No. 1 – Michigan Wolverines (14-1)
- ESPN’s BPI: 3
- KenPom: 1
- NET Rankings: 1
- Evan Miya: 1
The metrics love the Michigan Wolverines, and for good reason. Before their loss to Wisconsin, Michigan was off to one of the most dominant starts in the history of the sport. In that game, we finally learned what it took to beat these Wolverines — 15 three-pointers and hitting 50 percent from the field.
And Michigan lost by only three points. Michigan hosts No. 8 Nebraska and goes to No. 12 Michigan State later this month. In mid-February, the Wolverines go to No. 5 Purdue and have a neutral site game vs No. 6 Duke. They finish with road contests at No. 13 Illinois and Iowa before hosting No. 12 Michigan State.
No. 2 – Purdue Boilermakers (15-1)
- ESPN’s BPI: 6
- KenPom: 3
- NET Rankings: 6
- Evan Miya: 3
Purdue was dominated by Iowa State at home a couple weeks ago, a loss that has dampened their otherwise undefeated start. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer once again make up one of the best backcourts in America, and this team rivals the Wolverines with their depth. Despite two top-25 wins, the Boilermakers have had a weaker start to the season — only six Quad 1 or 2 wins. This team is a contender for the Big Ten, but still have much to prove with the second half being the more difficult stretch of the schedule.
No. 3 – Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-0)
- ESPN’s BPI: 20
- KenPom: 15
- NET Rankings: 11
- Evan Miya: 15
Metrics matter, but so do games that are actually played on the court. There’s contention for this No. 3 spot for either Illinois or Michigan State, especially when you take a look at efficiency numbers. But the Cornhuskers toppled both already this season, and they beat Illinois in Champaign. Iowa-transfer Pryce Sanford has been one of the best players in the conference, shooting more than 40 percent from deep while scoring 16.4 points per game. This is the best team Fred Hoiberg has put together in Lincoln.
No. 4 – Michigan State Spartans (15-2)
- ESPN’s BPI: 17
- KenPom: 13
- NET Rankings: 13
- Evan Miya: 13
Tom Izzo has once again built a freakishly athletic team that can’t shoot the basketball. They’re 12th in the conference in shooting percentage, converting just 46.7 percent of their attempts, but their defense and pace is what makes them difficult to play against. They hold opponents to 64.2 points per contest, putting them in second in points allowed. Battles with Michigan this season will be fascinating because of the ultra-contrasting styles. To win this conference, their offense has to improve, but they have as good a chance of any to be crowned best in the Big Ten in March.
N0. 5 – Illinois Fighting Illini (13-3)
- ESPN’s BPI: 8
- KenPom: 6
- NET Rankings: 10
- Evan Miya: 3
The Illini are battled-tested with seven Quad 1 matchups already this season, going 4-3 in that stretch. That’s part of why the metrics love them, and the eye test goes along with it. Brad Underwood historically gets his teams hot into Big Ten play, and a win at Iowa has them on a five-game winning streak after suffering that home loss to Nebraska. They have the depth and scoring in the backcourt to win the conference this season.
No. 6 – Iowa Hawkeyes (12-4)
- ESPN’s BPI: 28
- KenPom: 22
- NET Rankings: 21
- Evan Miya: 22
Heading into Wednesday night, Iowa had not yet earned a Quad 1 win, going 0-3. Even moving to Quad 2 opponents, the Hawkeyes are 2-1 following a loss at Minnesota. Ben McCollum is building something in Iowa City in his first year as head coach, but it feels like this team still has a lot to prove and could be in jeopardy of falling much further down this list. The caveat is the Hawkeyes have Bennett Stirts (17.6 points and 5.1 assists per game), one of the best players in the conference.
No. 7 – Indiana Hoosiers (12-5)
- ESPN’s BPI: 28
- KenPom: 22
- NET Rankings: 21
- Evan Miya: 22
The Hoosiers are in a really similar boat to Iowa. Their 0-4 Quad 1 and 2-1 Quad 2 record leaves very little to lean on if they cannot earn a statement win before Selection Sunday. Like some of the top teams in the conference, they have beaten up on the bottom feeders of the conference at home, but also are on a two-game losing streak. Eyes are set for a matchup with Iowa that could flip-flop where these two are ranked.
No. 8 – Wisconsin Badgers (12-5)
- ESPN’s BPI: 37
- KenPom: 37
- NET Rankings: 38
- Evan Miya: 42
The upset win at Michigan is positive momentum for the Badgers and shows exactly what they are capable of when shots are falling. The problem is when that’s not happening, and that’s plagued the Badgers a couple times this season because their defense can’t keep up. They’re allowing 75 points per game this season, the fourth-most in the conference. Beating the Wolverines could be really important for this team depending on how the second half shapes out, as it could be the difference between them making and missing the tournament.
No. 9 – Ohio State Buckeyes (11-5)
- ESPN’s BPI: 36
- KenPom: 38
- NET Rankings: 40
- Evan Miya: 28
The Buckeyes would likely be much higher on this list if it weren’t for a road loss to Washington this week. An injury to Cristoph Tilly in that game changed the course, and Brandon Noel has also missed time due to a foot injury. Getting those two back will be extremely important, as Ohio State doesn’t boast the same depth as some of the teams above. With a 3-5 record against Quad 1 and 2 teams, this team has to earn a few signature wins for a chance to dance.
No. 10 – UCLA Bruins (11-5)
- ESPN’s BPI: 29
- KenPom: 40
- NET Rankings: 48
- Evan Miya: 35
The Bruins have been a bit of a disappointment this season. They were once the No. 15 team in the country within four points of beating the now-No.1 team in the country, Arizona. Since then, they have lost to Cal, Gonzaga, Iowa, and Nebraska. Their resume is weak, going just 1-5 against Quad 1 and 2 opponents. That has to flip down the stretch.
No. 11 – USC Trojans (13-3)
- ESPN’s BPI: 49
- KenPom: 48
- NET Rankings: 45
- Evan Miya: 54
Rodney Rice’s season-ending injury has put a lot more pressure on Chad Baker-Mazara and USC. The tandem looked to be one of the best duos in the Big Ten, and it’s going to be tough for the Trojans to overcome his loss. Ezra Ausar is the only other player on this team that can consistently score, and if one of he or Baker-Mazara fall into foul trouble, this team is in big trouble. They have talent, but they have to be much better on defense, currently ranked second-last in the Big Ten.
No. 12 – Washington Huskies (10-6)
- ESPN’s BPI: 50
- KenPom: 49
- NET Rankings: 55
- Evan Miya: 44
The Huskies are a bit of a conundrum. Their 3-6 record against Quad 1 and 2 opponents is puzzling. They’ll compete with teams like Ohio State, Purdue and UCLA, but then stunningly lose to Seattle University. Injuries have made an impact, but this team has some work to do on and off the court to right the ship.
No. 13 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-7)
- ESPN’s BPI: 72
- KenPom: 84
- NET Rankings: 85
- Evan Miya: 89
Minnesota has had a couple of tough breaks over the last few weeks. Wisconsin hit a buzzer-beater over for a 78-75 win just days after USC won, 70-69, after a foul with 10 seconds left. Prior to those two losses, the Gophers had won five of six, including Top-25 wins vs Indiana and Illinois. Four points is the difference between where they rank here and being higher on this list.
No. 14 – Northwestern Wildcats (8-8)
- ESPN’s BPI: 57
- KenPom: 56
- NET Rankings: 74
- Evan Miya: 67
The Wildcats are the worst three-point shooting team in the conference, hitting only 30.9 percent of them. Nick Martinelli is just about the only answer for this Northwestern offense, as he leads the nation by scoring 24.1 points per game. Others around him need to step up.
No. 15 – Oregon Ducks (8-9)
- ESPN’s BPI: 74
- KenPom: 89
- NET Rankings: 110
- Evan Miya: 63
We’re now at some of the worst teams in the conference. Oregon lost five in a row in the early season, but the Ducks have also performed really poorly in conference play. A loss at Rutgers sparked this three-game losing streak they are living in now. With an 0-8 record against Quad 1 and 2 teams, a lot has to go right for them to even be in the conversation in March.
No. 16 – Penn State Nittany Lions (9-7)
- ESPN’s BPI: 100
- KenPom: 103
- NET Rankings: 101
- Evan Miya: 109
Thank goodness Michigan escaped with a win in Happy Valley because that potential loss is looking worse and worse. Penn State has now lost six of its last seven, and all nine wins are all against Quad 4 opponents. They have enough talent, especially when Kayden Mingo is healthy, to win a few conference games, but it’s likely they lean towards the bottom throughout the season.
No. 17 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-8)
- ESPN’s BPI: 127
- KenPom: 158
- NET Rankings: 168
- Evan Miya: 134
The Scarlet Knights have some really ugly losses this season, including a double-digit loss to Central Connecticut in November. Rutgers and Maryland are the only two teams in the conference with a negative point differential with much of the conference play still ahead of them. The offense is anemic, scoring less than 70 points per game, but recent success over Oregon and Northwestern leave some hope it can surprise some conference opponents this season on the right night.
No. 18 – Maryland Terrapins (7-10)
- ESPN’s BPI: 83
- KenPom: 126
- NET Rankings: 173
- Evan Miya: 115
We’re playing it really close with Maryland and Rutgers for the bottom spot, but the Terps have been a different level of bad. They’ve lost nine of their last 11, with the only two wins coming against Old Dominion and Wagner. At least Rutgers has actually won two conference games, but it’s highly likely these two battle it out for worst in the Big Ten this season.
