Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings (Vol. 7): Minnesota Keeps Moving Up

Minnesota is on the rise after winning seven straight games. Michigan is falling after dropping a fourth consecutive contest. How do the rest of the Big Ten basketball teams stack up in this week's power rankings?

Dustin Schutte | Jan 8, 2024

Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings (Vol. 7): Minnesota Keeps Moving Up /

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We might need to start a conversation about Minnesota being one of the more dangerous teams in the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers own a 3-1 record in conference play and have won seven straight contests after beating Michigan and Maryland last week.

Because the middle of the Big Ten is a jumbled mess currently, it's hard to know just how good the Gophers are this season. But Dawson Garcia and Elijah Hawkins are playing at a high level and have Ben Johnson's team in a really good spot.

Minnesota made the biggest jump in the power rankings this week. Here's how the rest of the league looks:

1. Purdue Boilermakers

Records: 14-1, 3-1 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP Poll: No. 1; Coaches Poll: No. 1; KenPom: No. 2
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 1 (No change)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 11 Gonzaga; Beat No. 7 Tennessee; Beat No. 4 Marquette; Beat No. 1 Arizona; Beat No. 9 Illinois.
Last week: Beat Maryland 67-53; Beat Illinois 83-78.
This week: At Nebraska on Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); Penn State on Saturday, 2:15 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Purdue picked up its first true road victory against Maryland last week. It followed that up by taking down No. 9 Illinois, securing their fourth victory over a top-10 team this season. The most impressive part of the Boilers' two wins last week was the play of Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored 23 points against the Fighting Illini.

2. Illinois Fighting Illini

Records: 11-3 overall, 2-1 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: No. 10; Coaches: No. 10; KenPom: No. 7
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 2 (No change)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat Florida Atlantic; Beat Northwestern.
Last week: Beat Northwestern 96-66; Lost to Purdue 83-78.
This week: Michigan State on Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1); Maryland on Sunday, TBD (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Even without Terrence Shannon Jr. in the lineup, Illinois continues to impress. Marcus Domask has stepped up substantially in the last two games, scoring 32 in the blowout win over Northwestern and dropping 26 on the road in the loss to Purdue. This still looks like the second-best team in the Big Ten right now.

3. Wisconsin Badgers

Records: 11-3 overall, 3-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: No. 15; Coaches: No. 15; KenPom: No. 12
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 3 (No change)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 24 Virginia; Beat No. 3 Marquette; Beat Michigan State.
Last week: Beat Iowa 83-72; Beat Nebraska 88-72.
This week: At Ohio State on Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Northwestern on Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Good things happen when you're able to put a lot of points on the scoreboard. That hasn't always been Wisconsin's strength, but the Badgers seem to have figured it out this season. The Badgers exceeded 80 points in both victories last week. The best sign for Wisconsin was getting 36 points off the bench in the win over Nebraska.

4. Northwestern Wildcats

Records: 11-3 overall, 2-1 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP:Received 3 votes; Coaches: Received 1 vote; KenPom: No. 56
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 5 (Up 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 1 Purdue; Lost to Chicago State; Beat Michigan State.
Last week: Lost to Illinois 96-66; Beat Michigan State 88-74.
This week: At Penn State on Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); At Wisconsin on Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: It seems like it's impossible to know which Northwestern team you'll see on a game-to-game basis. The Wildcats were laughed off the floor in a 30-point loss to Illinois, but bounced back nicely with a double-digit win over Michigan State on Sunday. Consistency seems to be a concern, but Chris Collins still has a solid squad. Plus, a shoutout goes to Boo Buie, who recorded his first career double-double in the win over the Spartans.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Records: 12-3 overall, 3-1 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 78
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 10 (Up 5 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: Lost to San Francisco; Beat Nebraska.
Last week: Beat Michigan 73-71; Beat Maryland 65-62.
This week: At Indiana on Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
The skinny: Minnesota has ripped off seven straight wins, going 2-0 against Michigan and Maryland last week. It's an impressive jump for the Golden Gophers, who won just two Big Ten contests a season ago. Dawson Garcia and Elijah Hawkins have been huge in Minnesota's success recently, making the Gophers a dangerous team in the conference.

6. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Records: 12-3 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 52
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 6 (No change)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat Michigan State; Beat Kansas State; Beat Indiana.
Last week: Beat Indiana 86-70; Lost to Wisconsin 88-72.
This week: Purdue on Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); At Iowa on Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Through the first half of the season, Nebraska has been a pleasant surprise, posting a 12-3 record and getting wins over Michigan State and Indiana in Big Ten play. The Huskers suffered an ugly loss to Wisconsin, allowing the Badgers to knock down 13-of-26 shots from 3-point range. Despite the disappointing loss, Fred Hoiberg's team is still in a good spot.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

Records: 11-4 overall, 3-1 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 91
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 8 (Up 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat Ohio State.
Last week: Lost to Nebraska 86-70; Beat Ohio State 71-65.
This week: At Rutgers on Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); Minnesota on Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
The skinny: There are two types on Indiana teams: One that plays defense and one that refuses to do so. We saw the latter in the road game against Nebraska, resulting in a lopsided loss. On Saturday, though, the Hoosiers held Ohio State to just 36.2% from the floor and squeaked out a win at Assembly Hall. For IU to be a tournament-caliber team, it has to start playing better defense on a nightly basis.

8. Ohio State Buckeyes

Records: 12-3 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: Received 12 votes; KenPom: No. 36
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 4 (Down 4 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 17 Alabama; Lost to Penn State.
Last week: Beat Rutgers 76-72; Lost to Indiana 71-65
This week: Wisconsin on Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Ohio State is a tricky team to assess. The Buckeyes have a lot of talent, specifically with players like Bruce Thornton, Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle Jr. But the Buckeyes have two problems: They struggle maintaining leads and they still have yet to pick up a true road win. If the Buckeyes can get better at the end of games, they'll be in a much better spot as the season progresses.

9. Michigan State Spartans

Records: 9-6 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 7 votes; Coaches: Received 7 votes; KenPom: No. 19
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 7 (Down 2 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat Butler; Beat No. 6 Baylor.
Last week: Beat Penn State 92-61; Lost to Northwestern 88-74.
This week: At Illinois on Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1); Rutgers on Sunday, TBD (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Just when you think Michigan State has it figured out, it drops a 14-point road contest to Northwestern. The Spartans had won five straight games, including a blowout victory over Penn State last week. They were beginning to look like a Big Ten contender again. After Sunday's loss, Michigan State now sits at 1-3 in league play — a less-than-ideal position for Tom Izzo's bunch.

10. Penn State Nittany Lions

Records: 8-7 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 114
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 13 (Up 3 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: Lost to VCU; Lost to Bucknell; Beat Ohio State.
Last week: Lost to Michigan State 92-61; Beat Michigan 79-73.
This week: Northwestern on Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); At Purdue on Saturday, 2:15 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: A few weeks ago, Mike Rhoades said there were a lot of ups and downs with a new team and new staff. Penn State experienced a little bit of both last week, getting blown out by Michigan State but picking up a win against Michigan. The Nittany Lions are about to be tested in a big way, playing Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin in their next three games.

11. Maryland Terrapins

Records: 9-6 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 79
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 9 (Down 2 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: Lost to Davidson; Lost to UAB.
Last week: Lost to Purdue 67-53; Lost to Minnesota 65-62.
This week: Michigan on Thursday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1); At Illinois on Sunday, TBD (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Maryland has been, by far, the most disappointing team in the Big Ten thus far. The Terrapins went 0-2 last week, dropping games to Purdue and Minnesota. Outside of Jahmir Young, Julian Reese and Donta Scott, Maryland isn't getting much production. This team still has no rhythm shooting from behind the 3-point line, either.

12. Iowa Hawkeyes

Records: 9-6 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 53
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 11 (Down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Beat Seton Hall.
Last week: Lost to Wisconsin 83-72; Beat Rutgers 86-77.
This week: Nebraska on Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Congratulations are in order for Fran McCaffery, who won his 127th Big Ten game, becoming the all-time leader in Iowa history. Iowa still doesn't have a quality win on its resumé and the defense continues to struggle. It's looking more and more like this is a rebuilding season for the Hawkeyes.

13. Michigan Wolverines

Records: 6-9 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: 69
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 12 (Down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Lost to Long Beach State; Lost to McNeese.
Last week: Lost to Minnesota 73-71; Lost to Penn State 79-73.
This week: At Maryland on Thursday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
The skinny: Michigan continues to slide after losing their fourth consecutive game. In case it wasn't evident before, it's starting to show how much Hunter Dickinson meant to Juwan Howard's squad. Things could get even uglier, with games against Maryland, Ohio State, Illinois and Purdue on the horizon.

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Records: 8-6 overall, 0-3 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 89
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 14 (No change)
Best wins/worst losses: Lost to Princeton; Lost to Iowa.
Last week: Lost to Ohio State 76-72; Lost to Iowa 86-77.
This week: Indiana on Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); At Michigan State on Sunday, TBD (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Rutgers is the only team in the Big Ten that hasn't gotten a conference victory this season. The Scarlet Knights dropped to 0-3 after losses to Ohio State and Iowa, both on the road. This week, Rutgers gets Indiana at home, so perhaps there's some comfort in that.