Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Week 5

Michigan State Spartans

Ranking: 1

Last Week: 1

Move: —

Michigan State continues to play like the class of the Big Ten. With their next five games against lower-tier programs, the Spartans should finish the calendar year at 14-1.

Purdue Boilermakers

Ranking: 2

Last Week: 2

Move: —

After struggling earlier this season, the Boilermakers are on a roll, winning seven straight and getting back into the top 25.

Maryland Terrapins

Ranking: 3

Last Week: 3

Move: —

It seems like every week I mention the great play of Anthony Cowan. The sophomore has improved in just about every statistical category this season and is a big reason the Terrapins are 10-3.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ranking: 4

Last Week: 5

Move: UP 1

Chris Holtmann is getting rave reviews in his first season in Columbus. Could the Buckeyes be a team on the rise in the Big Ten?

Michigan Wolverines

Ranking: 5

Last Week: 6

Move: UP 1

Michigan took down two major conference teams in the past week in UCLA and Texas. The Wolverines have had anything but an easy non-conference schedule but seem to be improving thanks to it.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Ranking: 6

Last Week: 4

Move: DOWN 2

Minnesota followed up a bad loss to Nebraska with a loss to Arkansas and a one-point win over Drake. The Golden Gophers are digging themselves into a hole that may be hard to come out of when Selection Sunday arrives.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Ranking: 7

Last Week: 7

Move: —

A win against George Washington (not that George Washington) has Penn State sitting at 8-3 early in the season. Can they find a way to get Mike Watkins more involved?

Northwestern Wildcats

Ranking: 8

Last Week: 8

Move: —

The Wildcats are 6-4 on the season, but the good news is their newly renovated high school gym sold out all twelve season tickets this week, so good on ‘em.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Ranking: 9

Last Week: 9

Move: —

If the Illini play a game and nobody is able to watch, does it really count as a loss? After a late late LATE game in Las Vegas, the Illini rebounded with a massive beating of Longwood (lol). Coach Brad Underwood says this team is close to getting everything figured out, just in time for conference play.

Wisconsin Badgers

Ranking: 10

Last Week: 10

Move: —

A loss against Marquette and a one-point win against Western Kentucky shine a glaring light on the issues with Wisconsin. The Badgers look a far ways away from the dominant team they were earlier in this decade.

Indiana Hoosiers

Ranking: 11

Last Week: 11

Move: —

A loss to rival Louisville sunk Indiana to 5-5 in 2017. Things don’t get any easier with a game against No. 18 Notre Dame this weekend.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Ranking: 12

Last Week: 14

Move: UP 2

Rutgers will take three straight wins into its game this weekend against No. 15 Seton Hall. The Scarlet Knights may not be the pushover everyone projected at the beginning of the season.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Ranking: 13

Last Week: 12

Move: DOWN 1

Nebraska followed up a huge win against then-ranked Minnesota with a loss to Creighton this week, and I hope Tim Miles is the coach there forever.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Ranking: 14

Last Week: 13

Move: DOWN 1

Iowa has followed up four straight losses with a win against Southern but find themselves firmly planted toward the bottom of the Big Ten.