My second Big Ten power rankings for men’s basketball
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – My second Big Ten power rankings for men’s basketball has no change at the top or bottom, but lots of shuffling in between.
With so much parity in the conference, ranking the 14 teams is almost impossible because circumstances can change significantly in a week.
There currently are five teams in the Big Ten with 3-4 records in conference play, including Iowa. You could make a case for any of the five to be ranked above or below the other four teams. It’s that close.
Every Big Ten team now has at least one win in conference play as Rutgers finally got over the hump by defeating struggling Nebraska on Saturday at home. The Cornhuskers have lost four consecutive games after starting 3-0 in conference play.
Take my rankings as serious as you want, but not the comments because some were made in the spirit of fun.
1. Wisconsin: 17-2, 5-1 – In order to avoid complacency, Barry Alvarez warns Greg Gard that he recently read an instructional manual on how to coach basketball and that he easily could replace him on an interim basis at the first sign of trouble.
2. Maryland: 16-3, 5-1 – Mark Turgeon would seem the obvious choice as Big Ten Coach of the Year at this stage and the obvious choice to replace Bill Self at Turgeon’s alma mater Kansas should that opportunity ever present itself.
3. Purdue: 16-4, 6-2 – Imagine Isaac Haas as an astronaut walking on the moon.
4. Northwestern: 16-4, 5-2 – Chris Collins has the Wildcats on the verge of going where no Northwestern team has gone before, which in this case, is the NCAA Tournament. It also would seem that Collins has the inside track to replace Mike Krzyzewski at Duke whenever that time comes, although, as a Big Ten fan, my hope is that Collins stays at Northwestern.
5. Indiana: 14-6, 4-3 – It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Tom Crean is a sleepwalker who paces back and forth at the foot of his bed and yells out criticism to officials.
6. Michigan State: 12-8, 4-3 – Mired in a two-game losing streak and struggling to stay above .500 in conference play, Tom Izzo has the Spartans poised to make yet another deep NCAA Tournament run.
7. Minnesota: 15-5, 3-4 – The resurgent Gophers now have lost three games in a row and P.J. Fleck can’t do anything to change that.
8. Michigan: 13-7, 3-4 – Junior forward D.J. Wilson might be the most improved player in the Big Ten from last season. Unfortunately, for him, you can’t say the same about his team.
9. Iowa: 11-9, 3-4 – It might be easier predicting the flight pattern of a gnat than predicting how up-and-down Iowa will play in its next game.
10. Penn State: 11-9, 3-4 – The Nittany Lions appear to be getting better, but still aren’t very good in year six under Pat Chambers.
11. Ohio State: 12-8, 2-5 – The Buckeyes have gone from knocking on the door of elite status under Thad Matta to now knocking on the door of the Big Ten cellar.
12. Nebraska: 9-10, 3-4 – With four consecutive losses, Nebraska is looking more and more like a volleyball school.
13. Illinois: 12-8, 2-5 – Bruce Weber doesn’t look so bad anymore with one of the hottest coaching seats in men’s collegiate basketball now residing in Champaign, Ill.
14. Rutgers: 12-8, 1-6 – The Scarlet Knights still occupy the basement, but maybe not for much longer. Rutgers is clearly progressing under first-year head coach Steve Pikiell and now has something to show for it with a Big Ten victory. If Pikiell can tap the East Coast from a recruiting standpoint, especially his home state of New Jersey, then watch out for Rutgers.
That's right. Rutgers.