The Hawkeyes are coming!
Just like we all predicted before the season, Iowa is at the top of the Big Ten. It's hard to say the Hawkeyes haven't earned it, though. After picking up tough wins over Michigan State and Michigan this week, it seems right now Iowa deserves to be No. 1.
We're about one-third of the way done with the Big Ten season and things are still fairly interesting near the top with both the Hawkeyes and Indiana as the league's two remaining unbeaten teams.
There's a lot of basketball to be played, but things in the Big Ten are shaping up to be quite interesting again. Without any longer of a delay, here are the most prestigious Big Ten power rankings on the Internet, provided to you by Eleven Warriors.
1. Iowa (14-3, 5-0)
Last week: 76-59 win at Michigan State; 82-71 win vs. Michigan
This week: Thursday at Rutgers; Sunday vs. Purdue
I was hesitant a week ago to have Iowa higher than No. 3 because its first victory over Michigan State carried an asterisk as the Spartans played that game without superstar guard Denzel Valentine. But make no mistake about things this week: Iowa is the Big Ten's No. 1 team at the moment.
The Hawkeyes went on the road and routed Michigan State, 76-59, on Thursday, then followed that up with an 11-point win over Michigan at home. In Big Ten play, Iowa now has two wins over the Spartans, one over the Wolverines and also a victory over Purdue. No team has a better Big Ten resume through five games.
Led by Jarrod Uthoff's 19.6 points per game in the Big Ten — second in league play behind only Indiana's Yogi Ferrell — the Hawkeyes are averaging a league-best 77.6 points per game in the Big Ten. Iowa will likely move to 6-0 this week after its game against Rutgers on Thursday, but another big league game awaits the Hawkeyes on Sunday when they welcome Purdue.
Jarrod Uthoff scored 23 points & @IowaHoops beat Michigan 82-71 for its first 5-0 start in the Big Ten in 19 years. https://t.co/ORApGoGyhu
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) January 18, 2016
2. Maryland (16-2, 5-1)
Last week: 70-67 loss at Michigan; 100-65 win vs. Ohio State
This week: Tuesday vs. Northwestern; Saturday at Michigan State
The Terps rebounded from their first Big Ten loss of the season rather emphatically by handing Ohio State its worst loss of Thad Matta's tenure as head coach Saturday. Maryland looked unbeatable against the Buckeyes.
Freshman big man Diamond Stone is averaging 18.7 points per game in the Big Ten and has developed into another weapon in the Terps' arsenal, which was already pretty loaded to begin with. Maryland is arguably the most talented team in the league and will be near the top of this list all season.
3. Indiana (15-3, 5-0)
Last week: 70-63 win at Minnesota
This week: Tuesday vs. Illinois; Saturday vs. Northwestern
It's still difficult to project how the Hoosiers will stack up against the rest of the top-tier teams in the Big Ten because Indiana has played the weakest Big Ten schedule to date of the league's best teams. The Hoosiers' Big Ten slate is pretty backloaded.
Overall, though, Indiana has 10-straight wins and with its next two at home should improve to 7-0 in the league before things really kick up for the Hoosiers in February.
4. Michigan State (16-3, 3-3)
Last week: 76-59 loss vs. Iowa; 77-76 loss at Wisconsin
This week: Wednesday vs. Nebraska; Saturday vs. Maryland
Michigan State has certainly had better weeks in the program's history, but despite two losses in a row, the Spartans are fine. Michigan State was flat outplayed in its loss to the Hawkeyes and it blew a late lead against Wisconsin this week.
The Spartans can't get caught looking ahead to Saturday's headlining matchup with Maryland, though, as they will first have to take on a Nebraska team which has won three straight.
5. Purdue (15-3, 3-2)
Last week: 74-57 win vs. Penn State
This week: Monday at Rutgers; Thursday vs. Ohio State; Sunday at Iowa
The Boilermakers have a busy week ahead, hosting Rutgers and Ohio State before traveling to take on Iowa to close things out. Purdue got off to a bit of a rough start to the Big Ten season — rough for the Boilermakers — and has a chance to fully get itself back into the league title race with a big week.
Purdue only played once over the last week and routed Penn State in that game.
So. Many. Highlights. #RememberTheName https://t.co/iYIr3L9yHH
— Purdue Basketball (@BoilerBall) January 14, 2016
6. Michigan (13-5, 3-2)
Last week: 70-67 win vs. Maryland; 82-71 loss at Iowa
This week: Wednesday vs. Minnesota; Saturday at Nebraska
The Wolverines had about as difficult of a back-to-back as you can have in the Big Ten playing both Maryland and Iowa last week. Michigan got what was probably the best result it could hope for — especially playing without Caris LeVert, who continues to be out with a leg injury — splitting those games. Zak Irvin carried the load in that win over the Terps scoring a team-high 22 points, while Duncan Robinson hit five 3-pointers and scored 17.
Things are a bit easier from here, though, as the Wolverines play two winnable games this week — Minnesota and Nebraska — with Rutgers and Penn State after that. Michigan's stock seems to be trending upward, despite still playing without LeVert, who is out "temporarily" head coach John Beilein says.
7. Ohio State (12-7, 4-2)
Last week: 94-68 win vs. Rutgers; 100-65 loss at Maryland
This week: Thursday at Purdue
The Buckeyes looked really good in the second half of Wednesday's rout of Rutgers, but things certainly didn't carry over into Saturday's meeting with Maryland as Ohio State suffered its worst loss ever under Matta.
The brutal 4-of-5-on-the-road stretch comes to an end for the Buckeyes this week, closing things out with a game at Purdue. I wouldn't say it is necessarily a must-win game for Ohio State, but it certainly feels like it might be. The Buckeyes need some good vibes after the shellacking they took Saturday in College Park.
8. Northwestern (15-4, 3-3)
Last week: 70-65 win vs. Wisconsin; 71-62 loss vs. Penn State
This week: Tuesday at Maryland; Saturday at Indiana
How did Northwestern — trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history — follow up its win over Wisconsin on Tuesday? By losing at home to Penn State, of course.
The Wildcats don't have a marquee win on their resume yet, so losses to teams like the Nittany Lions are brutal. But Northwestern does have a pair of chances this week to pick up a quality win as it takes on both Maryland and Indiana on the road.
9. Wisconsin (10-9. 2-4)
Last week: 70-65 loss at Northwestern; 77-76 win vs. Michigan State
This week: Thursday at Penn State
Wisconsin junior forward Nigel Hayes expressed his displeasure and frustrations with this season after the Badgers' recent loss to Northwestern.
Gamer from Evanston, where Nigel Hayes spoke his mind after the #Badgers lost to Northwestern. https://t.co/D8r1szh9FH
— Jim Polzin (@JimPolzinWSJ) January 13, 2016
It looks like it may have worked. In its next time out, Wisconsin upset Michigan State thanks to a late basket by Ethan Happ. The Badgers have an upcoming stretch of five winnable games to try and turn things around before back-to-back road games against Maryland and Michigan State.
ICYMI: Here is the closing seconds of the dramatic @BadgerMBB win. https://t.co/JHoW7CPBu3
— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) January 17, 2016
10. Nebraska (11-8, 3-3)
Last week: 84-59 win vs. Minnesota; 78-67 win at Illinois
This week: Wednesday at Michigan State; Saturday vs. Michigan
Here come the Huskers!
Winners of three in a row, Nebraska suddenly looks like it might not exactly be a pushover. Sure, two of those wins came against Minnesota and Rutgers, but the Huskers' win at Illinois on Saturday was quite impressive.
Tim Miles' club now begins a rough four-game stretch that includes Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue and Maryland. Nebraska will look to ride its current momentum to try and pull a couple more upsets.
11. Illinois (9-9, 1-4)
Last week: 78-67 loss vs. Nebraska
This week: Tuesday at Indiana; Saturday at Minnesota
Coming off a huge win against Purdue, Illinois laid an egg at home against Nebraska on Saturday to fall to 1-4 in the Big Ten. It was a game John Groce's team should have won, but didn't and now sits near the bottom of the Big Ten as we're almost one-third of a way done with the league schedule.
Illinois has some winnable games in the near future, though, starting Saturday at Minnesota. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Rutgers all follow that game against the Gophers.
12. Penn State (11-8, 2-4)
Last week: 74-57 loss at Purdue; 71-62 win at Northwestern
This week: Thursday vs. Wisconsin
Penn State got arguably its biggest win of the season Saturday when it knocked off Northwestern on the road. The Nittany Lions hadn't won on the road since Dec. 2 against Boston College prior to that win over the Wildcats.
A home game against Wisconsin is up next followed by a road trip to Ohio State for Pat Chambers' group.
13. Minnesota (6-12, 0-5)
Last week: 84-59 loss at Nebraska; 70-63 loss vs. Indiana
This week: Wednesday at Michigan; Saturday vs. Illinois
Well, at least Minnesota kept a game close, I guess. The Gophers lost by only seven points Saturday against Indiana.
Minnesota is currently locked in a tight battle with Rutgers to get out of the Big Ten cellar.
14. Rutgers (6-12, 0-5)
Last week: 94-68 loss at Ohio State
This week: Monday vs. Purdue; Thursday vs. Iowa
The Scarlet Knights and Gophers don't meet until Feb. 23. Hopefully at least one of those teams has a Big Ten win by then.
