Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Week 11 edition

4 of 5

Jan 7, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Nick Ward (44) high-fives guard Eron Harris (14) during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Palestra. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

If you’re shocked that Indiana has fallen off the radar this much in recent weeks, you’re not alone. The Hoosiers began the season 11-2 with wins over Kansas and North Carolina but a recent four-game losing streak, including three in Big Ten play, dropped them out of the rankings and to the NCAA Tournament bubble. Indiana opened the week with a loss to Maryland, but followed it up with a nice win over Rutgers. However, Tom Crean was not pleased (to say the least) as his guys attempted an alley-oop at the buzzer while up 19.

Michigan State remains at No. 5 despite losing to Ohio State on Sunday because the Spartans fared no worse than the Hoosiers last week. Also, Minnesota dropped and Northwestern jumped the Spartans, so it all evened out. What’s frustrating, though, is that this team can be so dominant, like they were against Minnesota on Wednesday, and then they can look like a roster full of freshmen in their first ever game, like they did on Sunday against the Buckeyes. It’s up to Tom Izzo to try and find a healthy medium so that the Spartans can make a deep run.

Northwestern is on fire lately. The Wildcats got off to a bumpy start in conference play, beating Penn State and then losing two straight to Michigan State and Minnesota. However, they have gotten back on track with three straight victories, including a 35-point thrashing of Iowa over the weekend and they now look like a serious contender to make the NCAA Tournament. Why is that such a big deal? Well, Northwestern has never made the tourney as a basketball program in school history. This could be the year.

Home/Spartans Basketball