It was a wild week of Big Ten hoops this past week.
Each of the top five teams from our power rankings lost at least once last week, including Michigan State who dropped a home game vs. Wisconsin. So what can we make out of the “true” contenders for the Big Ten crown?
Let’s see where Michigan State lands in our updated Big Ten power rankings:
No. 14: Nebraska
Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 7-18 (1-13 in Big Ten)
Nebraska finally picked up their first conference win of the season this past week, with a home victory over Minnesota. The Cornhuskers remain in the basement but maybe this will help them get on a roll?
No. 13: Penn State
Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 9-12 (4-9 in Big Ten)
Penn State had a pair of close losses this past week, and while the record isn’t great this is still a tough team to beat. Michigan State will have to play well on Tuesday to avoid the upset bid.
No. 12: Maryland
Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier
Record: 11-14 (3-11 in Big Ten)
Maryland came close to a massive upset of Purdue on Sunday, but fell just short. The Terps have dropped five straight games and things will most likely get worse before they get better in College Park, Md.
No. 11: Minnesota
Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 12-10 (3-10 in Big Ten)
Minnesota got a much-needed win over Penn State on Saturday to snap a five-game losing streak. The Golden Gophers aren’t going to be dancing but still not a bad first year for new head coach Ben Johnson.
No. 10: Northwestern
David Banks/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 12-11 (5-9 in Big Ten)
The Wildcats knocked off Indiana and came close to upsetting Illinois this past week. Northwestern continues to be a tough out, but simply not good enough to consistently win games.
No. 9: Indiana
David Banks/USA TODAY Sports
Record: 16-8 (7-7 in Big Ten)
Indiana is in a big slump right now and…
..
