Big Ten Basketball: Power Ranking Every Team Ahead of Conference Play
There might not be a more confusing conference to figure out at this point of the year than the Big Ten.
The theme of this season has been inconsistency. The group of teams certainly features a lot of talent and there have already been some pretty big wins. Unfortunately, losses to NJIT, Texas Southern, Incarnate Word and others have ruined the perception of the conference.
Now the question heading into the start of league play is simple: Which teams are any good?
The conference has one true national title contender but as many as 12 different squads potentially capable of playing their way into the NCAA tournament. While there won't be that many bids to give out, don't be surprised when some of the ones near the bottom of the current list find their way into the Big Dance come March.
Although most of this list is separated by a thread, here is a look at power rankings for the Big Ten based on what the teams have shown us throughout the nonconference season.
14. Rutgers
1 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: The team's first year in the Big Ten will be guided by some talent that will be difficult for anyone to defend. Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack have become a formidable inside-outside tandem that can beat a lot of teams without any help.
A few quality wins over power-conference opponents like Clemson and Vanderbilt should provide some confidence going forward.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: Rutgers was blown out by the only opponents with real promise (Virginia, Seton Hall, George Washington) while also dropping home games to Saint Peters and St. Francis.
With an offense that averages just 60.6 points per game, the Scarlet Knights will be overmatched against most teams in the Big Ten and make the last few months excruciating to watch.
Movement Potential: When you're at the bottom, the only place to go is up. Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine the climb being too great for a squad that has struggled against some mediocre competition this year.
After struggling in the Big East and then the AAC over the last two years, the bottom of the standings should feel right at home.
13. Northwestern
2 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Although the Wildcats don't have great wins to hang their hat on, they have generally taken care of business against inferior opponents. With a win over Northern Kentucky on Dec. 27, the team will have a respectable 9-4 record heading into conference play.
Considering the lack of experience on the roster, with freshmen Bryant McIntosh and Vic Law having major roles, things could've been much worse.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: Many were hoping JerShon Cobb could take on more of a leadership role in place of the departed Drew Crawford, but the senior had a slow start to the year before going down with a foot injury.
This has led to poor performances in the only opportunities for quality wins, and it will cause some major problems throughout conference play.
Movement Potential: According to KenPom.com (subscription required), Northwestern is projected to lose every single game in the Big Ten. This doesn't mean the team will go winless, just that any win would likely be an upset.
That doesn't add up to a very successful year, although the young players on the roster should still be able to pull off a few surprises.
12. Purdue
3 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: An 8-2 start to the year highlighted the strengths of the team, namely the size inside between 7'0" A.J. Hammons and 7'2" Isaac Haas. The duo can be difference-makers on both ends of the court while Kendall Stephens finds ways to provide some scoring from the outside.
Add in a deep rotation that sees 10 players step on the court in each game, and the Boilermakers are a dangerous team to stop.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The last three games have gone about as bad as possible for Matt Painter's squad. A road loss at Vanderbilt was followed by a blowout defeat at the hands of rival Notre Dame, only to then fall at home to Gardner Webb.
It seems like the confidence from earlier in the season is lost and might not ever come back.
Movement Potential: Purdue begins the run of little separation from here until No. 2. The Boilermakers are clearly better than they have been in past years, and a quality conference season is not completely out of the question.
At the very least, this squad will be competitive in just about every game for the rest of the year.
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11. Nebraska
4 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Terran Petteway is still one of the best overall players in the conference with the ability to hit almost unguardable shots. Meanwhile, Shavon Shields has put up similar numbers at an even more efficient rate.
With the way this team can play defense, these two scorers can do enough to earn wins on their own.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: While Michigan might be getting more headlines, Nebraska has been the most disappointing team in the Big Ten so far this season. The Cornhuskers were in the preseason Top 25 but have done nothing to warrant that consideration to this point with losses at home, away and in Hawaii.
The team has simply struggled to consistently put the ball in the basket, and until that changes, there will be plenty more losses in 2015.
Movement Potential: Of all the teams in the bottom half of the rankings, Nebraska might have the biggest chance of truly surprising the rest of the field. As bad as things have gone to this point, the talent is there to be a real contender in a wide-open conference.
While the Huskers don't deserve to be any higher at this stage of the game, a top-five finish is certainly possible if things go right.
10. Michigan
5 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Michigan had to replace a lot of departed talent over the past two seasons, and John Beilein has kept the team afloat. Zak Irvin and Caris LeVert have become quality go-to options offensively, and the duo has helped earn wins over Syracuse and Oregon, two victories that could end up looking better as the year progresses.
With a relatively difficult schedule, the young team was forced to grow up quickly and the group will be battle-tested in January and beyond.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The month of December. A learning period was expected, but a stretch of four losses in a row was extremely damaging to the team's profile, especially when that includes home defeats to NJIT and Eastern Michigan.
Until the team starts defending the perimeter and stops chucking up threes on offense, it's hard to imagine things turning around any time soon.
Movement Potential: The Wolverines are not as bad as they have been playing lately. The early-season wins, plus the narrow loss to Villanova, showed the potential when things are clicking.
Beilein has turned clubs around before and should be able to do it again this season. As long as the players are committed, this group should finish close to .500 in the conference with a chance of making the NCAA tournament if things go right.
9. Penn State
6 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: You can question the schedule, but wins are wins. Penn State has taken care of business in the nonconference season while going 12-1, the only loss coming in double-overtime against Charlotte.
D.J. Newbill has turned into one of the best pure scorers in the nation and has shown the ability to carry his squad down the stretch. He has single-handedly turned close losses into close wins, which makes the profile look a whole lot better.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The weak list of opponents could be overlooked if Penn State was dominating the cupcakes, but that hasn't been the case. Seven of the team's wins have been decided by six points or less, including against some vastly inferior competition.
Winning is obviously the most important thing in each game, but these results aren't exactly providing a lot of confidence heading into the tougher part of the schedule.
Movement Potential: Penn State is clearly the hardest team to figure out at this point because we don't really know anything. Florida State football proved that you can win close games all year and survive, although we have also seen great nonconference records be shattered in the second half of the season.
Climbing onto the top half of the Big Ten would not be too surprising, but neither would a drop to the cellar of the standings. Only time will tell which direction this group will travel.
8. Iowa
7 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Iowa has one of the best wins of any Big Ten team this season with a 60-55 victory at North Carolina. That performance wasn't a fluke, but a showcase of its potential as a great defensive team.
With size inside as well as mismatches like Aaron White, the sky is the limit for the Hawkeyes.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: Aside from the win at UNC, the team has come up short against top competition. Losses to Texas and Syracuse at the 2K Classic were not as bad as double-digit defeats to in-state rivals Iowa State and Northern Iowa.
Until the Hawkeyes can improve upon the 30.8 percent shooting from three-point range, more bad losses are likely on the way.
Movement Potential: We will know a lot about this team relatively quickly. Four of the first eight Big Ten games are against Ohio State and Wisconsin while games at Minnesota and at Purdue won't be pieces of cake.
Iowa should be among the top half of the conference, but don't be surprised if a tough stretch takes the squad too far out of contention to bounce back.
7. Illinois
8 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Rayvonte Rice being Rayvonte Rice. The senior guard has improved his efficiency from last season and is now a player everyone wishes was on their team. His buzzer-beater against Missouri only added to his legend status.
He and Malcolm Hill also had big performances in an important win over Baylor, a victory that will certainly impress the selection committee in March.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The Illini are just 1-3 against opponents currently in the top 100 on KenPom.com. They obviously have a lot of talent, but it's much harder to consistently beat good teams throughout the year.
Considering the team was 13-2 last season before rattling off eight losses in a row, it's important not to be more than cautiously optimistic with this squad.
Movement Potential: This is a team that has the ability to rise through the league standings with big wins over the next couple of months. Opponents will have a hard time keeping up with the offense while Rice is always a threat to make a big play late in games.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the wins keep coming in a relatively weak conference with the Illini earning a top-four finish in the Big Ten.
6. Minnesota
9 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Has Minnesota played the most difficult schedule? No. But the games it has won have rarely been in doubt.
Andre Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu lead one of the best backcourts in the conference, and the duo loves to play fast and score points. The Golden Gophers have scored at least 80 points in six straight games and the increased competition will not slow things down too much.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: A four-point win over Georgia represents the only meaningful victory of the year. This creates a lot of uncertainty around whether the pressure tactics that have worked against the bottom-feeders around the nation will have the same effect in the Big Ten.
There are also questions about depth after the suspension of Daquein McNeil and Josh Martin's decision to transfer.
Movement Potential: Minnesota's pace will certainly cause problems for many teams in the Big Ten. Richard Pitino seems to have modeled his coaching style after his father at Louisville, and the aggressive nature has led to success.
While better teams will figure out how to handle the pressure, the Gophers should remain on the top half of the conference standings with a chance of moving even higher.
5. Michigan State
10 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: A drop-off was expected after losing Gary Harris, Adreian Payne and Keith Appling, but the players who were supposed to step up have so far. Denzel Valentine and Travis Trice have become a formidable backcourt duo while Branden Dawson is a big-time frontcourt talent when healthy.
The losses to Duke, Kansas and Notre Dame were disappointing, but all three showed the ability to compete with the best in the nation.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The scoreboard. The three chances at good wins fell short, while the loss to Texas Southern is simply inexcusable.
Obviously, the injury to Dawson has played a part in the recent struggles, and the team will be better when his wrist his fully healed. However, the nonconference season has featured nothing but disappointment for a perennial Final Four contender.
Movement Potential: While the current position in these rankings is ambitious to begin with, the Spartans are capable of so much more. There is talent throughout the roster and an elite head coach in Tom Izzo that always has teams peaking as the season progresses.
It's possible this group shows the last few weeks weren't a fluke and finishes with about a 6-12 conference record, but the more likely scenario is the Spartans contend for the No. 2 spot in the Big Ten.
4. Indiana
11 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Don't tell this to anyone who hates Tom Crean and wants to see a coaching change, but Indiana is actually good. Yogi Ferrell has been his usual solid self while James Blackmon has exceeded his freshman expectations. If Troy Williams can continue to improve and be more consistent offensively, this team can be extremely dangerous.
Wins over Butler, Pittsburgh and SMU will be building blocks for a young team that seems to get better every time it steps on the floor.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The Hoosiers have played exactly zero games on the road this season. Not only is this going to hurt their RPI and perception, but the inexperienced players are going to be in for a rude awakening in the Big Ten.
The frontcourt has also varied from average to awful depending on the game. When it's the latter, Indiana will have a tough time against a lot of opponents.
Movement Potential: This spot seems to be a best-case scenario for Indiana, although it's completely attainable. The Eastern Washington loss looked awful, but it was just a slip-up for a young team. Williams is the X-factor that could make this squad a true threat in the conference.
On the other hand, the lack of experience or bodies in the low post could lead to a big fall as far as the No. 8-11 range in the conference rankings.
3. Maryland
12 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Maryland missed the NIT last season and saw five different players transfer out of the program. However, Mark Turgeon replaced them with an outstanding freshman class that has already made a huge impact this season.
Point guard Melo Trimble has become a leader for this team alongside Jake Layman to help earn big wins over Iowa State on a neutral court and at Oklahoma State.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: The Terps have been tested by injuries this year as two projected Day 1 starters have missed significant time. Seniors Dez Wells and Evan Smotrycz have combined to play just nine games this year, and their absences were apparent in the home loss to Virginia.
While these players should be at full strength for conference play, too much reliance on freshmen too soon could end up costing Maryland over the grind of the Big Ten season.
Movement Potential: Considering how well the team has played without its best player in Wells, it stands to reason the Terrapins will be even better when the guard returns. This is hard to imagine for a group that was projected to finish eighth in the conference by the media before the start of the year.
Maryland could struggle with unfamiliarity in the Big Ten, especially against some of the better perimeter defenses. However, the squad shouldn't fall outside of the top half of the conference no matter what happens.
2. Ohio State
13 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: Ohio State has not only beaten the teams it was supposed to, but it has dominated them. All 10 of the team's wins have been by double-digits, with seven of them being at least 20-point margins.
As freshman guard D'Angelo Russell continues to develop into one of the best scorers in the nation regardless of class, the Buckeyes will remain among the most talented teams around.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: Thad Matta scheduled just two tough nonconference games (Louisville, North Carolina) this season and lost them both. Taking away scoring margin, there is really nothing that separates the Buckeyes' year so far from that of Penn State.
While the team passes the eye test, it still has a lot to prove on the court.
Movement Potential: The Buckeyes clearly have the ability to contend for a conference title or at least the No. 2 spot. Their biggest weakness comes in the frontcourt, although few opponents in the Big Ten will be able to exploit it.
That being said, Ohio State hasn't proved anything yet. After facing basically cupcakes all year, the team has a long way to fall if things go wrong.
1. Wisconsin
14 of 14
What's Gone Right This Season: With methodical and efficient wins over a handful of quality opponents, Wisconsin has shown it is one of the best teams in the nation. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference has done little to show it is even in the same class.
Frank Kaminsky has been very much the Player of the Year candidate many were expecting coming into the year, while Nigel Hayes has stepped up to become one of the most improved players in the nation.
The team's biggest complaint might be that the rest of the conference is hurting its RPI.
What's Gone Wrong This Season: When you're a national title contender, you have to be a complete perfectionist. This means the home loss to Duke has to sting because it will remain the biggest challenge of the year until the NCAA tournament.
The Blue Devils' athleticism inside and out was a major issue for Wisconsin defensively. The Badgers will have to figure out how to solve this problem if it wants to cut down the nets in March.
Movement Potential: It's certainly lonely at the top for Wisconsin. The Badgers are clearly the best team in the conference right now and simply have too much veteran experience to suffer any sort of collapse.
They will lose some games, but anything other than a conference title would be a massive disappointment for this group.
Got questions or just want to talk college basketball? Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.
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