I’ve been holding off on the weekly Big Ten basketball power rankings until the season really started to heat up, and after three weeks, I have a better feel of where everyone sits, especially Michigan State.
We’ve seen a lot happen over the last week, and some Big Ten contenders went down in big games, making way for Michigan State to soar up the power rankings.
Before the season began, I would have put Michigan State somewhere around No. 5 in the power rankings, but I feel like the Spartans have done nothing but prove everyone wrong. They have beaten two top-15 teams in Arkansas and Kentucky, and they have a chance to add another ranked win on Thursday when they take on No. 16 North Carolina.
Michigan State looks like a legitimate Big Ten title contender, contrary to popular belief before the season began — I don’t know why people still doubt Tom Izzo.
Purdue has established itself as the clear No. 1 team in the Big Ten, and that’s not up for debate until the Boilermakers actually lose a game. They dominated Texas Tech last week, and they’re also the No. 1 team in the country.
Illinois lost a neutral court game against Alabama, but somehow the Illini are getting even more respect after that loss. It feels like the Illini can do no wrong in the national media’s eyes.
Michigan is hanging on against almost every opponent it’s facing lately, outside of Middle Tennessee, and the Wolverines may be proving that their preseason ranking was just a tad too high. They’ll be solid, but they’re still figuring things out with Elliot Cadeau at point.
The Big Ten is starting to take shape between contenders and pretenders.
So without further ado, here are your Week 4 Big Ten basketball power rankings.
1. Purdue
2. Michigan State
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. UCLA
6. Indiana
7. Ohio State
8. Wisconsin
9. Iowa
10. Nebraska
11. Oregon
12. USC
13. Maryland
14. Washington
15. Northwestern
16. Penn State
17. Minnesota
18. Rutgers
There are a lot of good teams that I had to slot a little lower than I would’ve liked, but these are power rankings, and they’re pretty fluid.
The one thing I know for sure after three weeks: Purdue is the No. 1 team and Rutgers is the clear No. 18 team. Oh, and Michigan State has probably made the biggest leap.
Next week’s power rankings could look a whole lot different.