Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings 11/26/24

No bad records exist in the Big Ten at this time of year as most of the teams are beating up mid-major schools with an occasional marquee game.

18. Washington Huskies

Washington’s Huskies will have the chance to showcase their talent this week at the Acrisure Invitational and show us just what kind of team they are as Big Ten play begins in December.

17. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Senior Parker Fox provided Minnesota with 30 solid minutes against Cleveland State, scoring 18 points and aiding Dawson Garcia as they advanced their record to 4-1. With four games over six days ahead for Ben Johnson’s squad, Senior Parker Fox provided Minnesota with an edge that helped secure victory and extend their winning streak.

16. Northwestern Wildcats

Brooks Barnhizer should provide Northwestern with a big boost moving forward. Although they didn’t play particularly well against Montana State, he managed to drop a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double and give them an all-purpose player. While it will take some time for their team chemistry to settle in fully, Chris Collins’ squad could rise quickly up these rankings once it finds itself.

15. USC Trojans

Last week, USC earned 54 and 41 bench points against San Jose State and Grambling respectively – with Chibuzo Agbo accounting for 41 of those points, providing USC with a much-needed spark off the bench in both games. Such production from bench players should always be seen as a positive sign.

14. Iowa Hawkeyes

What happens when you shoot 19% from 3-point range and are outrebounded 47-31? Usually, it leads to defeat. Iowa found this out against Utah State, dropping its first game of the 2024-25 season. Iowa will get another chance at redemption against SC-Upstate before Big Ten play starts up again next week.

13. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan must improve its turnover rate. Through five games, Dusty May’s squad averages more than 16 per contest; 18 were committed against Miami (Ohio) and 11 against Tarleton State, respectively. This will be key if they hope to beat teams at the Fort Myers Tip-Off.

12. Maryland Terrapins

Maryland was able to pull off a rare win on the road against Villanova without much drama, as their 3-point shooting has improved from last season (to 30.6%). Maryland defeated Canisius last week before outlasting Villanova in Philadelphia.

11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers demonstrated why Power Four teams may shy away from taking road games against mid-major programs on Sunday when it suffered a crushing road defeat at Kennesaw State. Steve Pikiell must ensure his players are ready for Alabama and Notre Dame matches during the Players Era Festival this week.

10. UCLA Bruins

UCLA didn’t do much last week, nor will they until December, when their schedule changes with games against Washington, Oregon, Arizona, North Carolina, and Gonzaga. Thus, we will not know much more about them for at least another week or two.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions

Have we mentioned that Penn State can score the basketball? They hit 100 for three straight games last week against Purdue-Fort Wayne, and Ace Baldwin Jr. is playing like one of the country’s premier guards, averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 assists, and 2.6 steals per game through five games. It will be interesting to see whether that high-octane offense makes its way down to Daytona Beach this week for the Sunshine Slam tournament.

8. Oregon Ducks

Nate Bittle was again instrumental in Oregon’s win against Oregon State, scoring 23 points and collecting 14 rebounds for Oregon’s comeback victory on the road against their in-state rival despite an initial 10-point deficit on the road. Oregon now looks ahead to facing a significant test this week at the Players Era Festival; we should gain insight as to where this team stands overall.

7. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State dominated Evansville and Campbell as they should, with Devin Royal racking up 37 points and 20 rebounds across both games. Jake Diebler’s team will have another tough matchup when hosting Pitt this Friday.

6. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska showed some strong defensive prowess against Creighton on Friday night, holding them to just 12-of-42 shooting from 3-point range (28%). Although Nebraska may not possess as much shooting talent as last season, their ability to harass you defensively should keep them competitive throughout the season if they can find more offense.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois had a chance to secure an impressive victory against Alabama last week, but fell short in an epic shootout. While Illinois proved capable of running up and down the court at fast tempos, their turnover rates suffered due to playing at this rapid a pace. They will get another major test when Arkansas visits Kansas City Thursday for another high-scoring matchup.

4. Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State is becoming more athletic with each outing and appears poised for continued improvement throughout its schedule. But this week, they face an immense test as they compete against some of the country’s premier squads at Maui Invitational. How will Tom Izzo’s squad react when pitted against top competition?

3. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana defeated UNC-Greensboro last week despite an ugly performance, winning by nine points. Myles Rice seems to be finding his groove, scoring 20 points while dishing out six assists and collecting five rebounds during this victory. We will learn even more about these Hoosiers as they take part in this week’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The Atlantis tournament looms large for the Hoosiers as the rest of the non-conference schedule is weak.

2. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue’s regular season nonconference game against Marquette on the road was its first loss since 2020 in a non-conference game. They struggled in turnovers and rebounding but made a solid comeback to defeat Marshall with Matt Painter changing up the lineup to insert Cam Heide and Myles Colvin as starters, and we will soon learn whether those two have earned full-time starting positions moving forward.

1. Wisconsin Badgers

Are the Badgers the top team in the Big Ten? Only time will tell, but they deserve the top spot in our power rankings this week. Wisconsin notched impressive wins against Arizona and Pitt to go 7-0 thus far. John Tonje has proven crucial, averaging 23.1 points and 5. 4 rebounds per game thus far; his contributions in two major wins over Arizona and Pitt saw him score 74 combined points!