Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings 02-10-25

18. Washington Huskies

The Huskies upset Northwestern at home over the weekend; that occasionally happens for this team, but they are the worst team in the Big Ten.

17. Penn State Nittany Lions

The Nittany Lions have now lost five straight games and seem to be a team in disarray.

16. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota is four and three over their last seven games and won this past week over Penn State, which moves them to their highest ranking this year in these power rankings.

15. Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers made a valiant comeback attempt on Saturday but, as always, fell apart with the game on the line. The schedule is hell over the next couple of weeks, and now, if you’re a Hoosier fan, you are just hoping they can make the Big Ten tournament.

14. Northwestern Wildcats

The Wildcats got a nice win over USC but followed that up with a loss to Washington, a loss that should never happen.

13. Iowa Hawkeyes

Farmer Fran has his typical poor defensive team. The offense is good, but not as good as it has been in the past few years. Ben McCullum at Drake would be a perfect fit for a new Iowa coach.

12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers has two of the most hyped Freshmen in the country, but they seldom are healthy and playing together, and after those two players, they don’t have much more.

11. USC Trojans

Who would have thought that the Trojans would be the first team to give Michigan State a loss this season? The Trojans then lost by two points at Northwestern and were beaten at Purdue.

10. Oregon Ducks

The Ducks have played poorly lately, and that all looked like it was changing on Saturday as they dominated the first half and led the Spartans by 14 points. Then, the wheels fell off as the Ducks were physically dominated in the second half, losing yet again.

9. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes played poorly down the stretch in a loss at Nebraska yesterday. The Buckeyes have been an enigma all season, they beat Purdue at Purdue, they beat Kentucky at a neutral site, and they somehow lost to Indiana at home. Just when you think the Buckeyes have it all figured out, something happens like it did on Sunday: they play poorly and lose.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Cornhuskers have bounced back nicely from a six-game losing streak winning four straight games. They got a massive win against Ohio State on Sunday and again look like a NCAA Tournament team.

7. Illinois Fighting Illini

The Illini’s recent midweek loss at Rutgers marked their fifth defeat in the last eight games. Even with the return of star freshman Kasparas Jakucionis, head coach Brad Underwood’s team has struggled to find its footing. While they continue to be a thrilling team, consistently pushing the pace, their inability to shoot outside has become increasingly significant during the grueling conference season. This team has undeniable potential, but it’s unclear if Underwood knows how to align all the pieces effectively.

6. Maryland Terrapins

Letting a double-digit lead slip away against Ohio State was scary, but I still believe in the Terps. They have two of the most skilled big men in the league, Derik Queen and Julian Reese, and a strong lead guard in Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Overall, they are solid across the board; however, the significant drop-off in their performance when playing away from College Park is concerning. They also have a minimal bench that could come back to haunt them when it comes time to play in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament.

5. UCLA Bruins

UCLA is one of the league’s hottest teams, having won six consecutive games. However, it’s important to note that they’ve primarily played at home during this streak, only leaving Los Angeles once for a trip to Washington, considered one of the weakest teams in the Power 4. This performance is starting to resemble a typical Mick Cronin team, characterized by strong defense and a disruptive style on that end of the court. Nevertheless, I remain somewhat skeptical about their consistently scoring enough points.

4. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan is walking a fine line by almost allowing an 18-point lead against Indiana to slip away during a messy second half. While this is a good defense, it isn’t a great one, which makes the Wolverines vulnerable when facing teams that can match the size of their twin towers, Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin. Fortunately, such teams are relatively rare. Dusty May is likely to have this squad well-prepared for March.

3. Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers are still looking for a significant win but continue to defeat all the teams they should beat, including a solid performance during their recent trip to Iowa. This team generates offense from various sources, showcasing a unique combination of size and shooting ability that allows them to play a five-out style and effectively challenge opposing defenses. However, there’s a concern that their lack of athleticism might hinder their performance on defense against the league’s top teams. We will learn more about this soon, beginning next weekend with a trip to Purdue. The Badgers and the Wolverines are interchangeable, as both are winning, but neither are impressive.

2. Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans were looking down the barrel of a third-straight loss on Saturday, trailing the Oregon Ducks by 14 points. From there, the Spartans physically pounded the Ducks into the court as they came back to get a win that stopped the downhill spiral. Next up is a home date with the Indiana Hoosiers; the question is how good the Spartans are; we will soon find out.

1. Purdue Boilermakers

Matt Painter’s team has gotten it together since their home loss to Ohio State in late January, winning their next four games. This improvement is crucial, as the Boilermakers are about to enter a challenging stretch that could define their season. Purdue’s upcoming schedule features road trips to Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana, along with home games against Wisconsin and UCLA. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn lead the league’s best offense. However, we will soon discover if Purdue’s defensive capabilities are strong enough to support a deep run in the Final Four. Remember when people thought that losing Zach Edey would see Purdue slide back to the middle of the Big Ten standings? Did not happen!