The Way I See It: Big Ten Power Rankings (Feb. 7)

1.    Michigan State (19-5)

The Spartans are not playing good basketball right now with Kalin Lucas out. They have to get past Purdue before they hit a soft spot in their schedule.

2.    Purdue (19-3)

Purdue gets to cracks at the Spartans before the end of conference play. They still have a chance to win the Big Ten outright, and control their own destiny.

3.    Wisconsin (18-5)

The Badgers picked up two impressive wins this week as they beat both teams from Michigan. The win over Michigan State, however, caught the eye of the tournament committee.

4.    Ohio State (18-6)

The Buckeyes, much like Purdue, control their own destiny as far as outright Big Ten Champions. They trail Michigan State by one game and play them in a few weeks.

5.    Illinois (16-8)

The Fighting Illini are peaking at just the right time. They were in need of a signature win and they got it when they knocked off Michigan State 78-73 on Saturday.

6.    Minnesota (14-8)

The gophers can still make the tournament, but it’s going to take a lot of work. They’ll need a win over Wisconsin or Purdue along with winning the majority of the remaining games.

7.    Northwestern (16-7)

The Wildcats should get their first tournament berth this year. The remaining schedule is very manageable and they should easily have 20 plus wins on the season.

8.    Michigan (11-12)

I doubt this Wolverine team finishes at .500 or higher this season. The remaining schedule is more than they’ve shown they can handle. This team's lack of consistency has plagued it throughout this forgettable season.

9.    Iowa (8-16)

The Hawkeyes aren’t much better then the two teams behind them, but they do have wins over them and that matters. Next season can’t get here soon enough for this young team.

10. Indiana (9-13)

The rebuilding project for the Hoosiers is still in full effect. I don’t think they have another win left in them, and with the remaining schedule it doesn’t look like it either.

11. Penn State (8-15)

The Nittany Lions are awful; the 11 game losing streak proves it. The sad thing about it is that this streak should extend to 18 games before it's all said and done.