Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings (Vol. 3): Purdue, Wisconsin Get Top-10 Victories

Both Purdue and Wisconsin took down top-10 teams at home on Friday night. Plus, Penn State continued to roll with a big victory over Virginia Tech. How do those results impact the latest Big Ten basketball power rankings?

Dustin Schutte | Nov 18, 2024

Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee (4) joins fans who stormed the court / Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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The weekend was full of quality wins in the Big Ten. Purdue knocked off Alabama, Wisconsin took down Arizona and Penn State scorched Virginia Tech. Those were some of the most impressive performances from the weekend.

We're only in the second week of the college basketball season, but we've already seen a few teams establish themselves as Big Ten contenders. How did last week's results alter the latest power rankings?

Here's the rundown.

1. Purdue Boilermakers

Records: 4-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP Poll: No. 6; Coaches Poll: No. 6; KenPom: No. 12
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 1 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 2 Alabama 87-78 on Nov. 15.
Last week: Defeated Yale 92-84; Defeated Alabama 87-78.
This week: At Marquette on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1); Marshall on Saturday at noon ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
The skinny: Purdue proved on Friday night why it's still the favorite to win the Big Ten. The Boilermakers won a big-time against Alabama, extending their nonconference regular game winning streak to 39 consecutive victories. Trey Kaufman-Renn was dominant in the post, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith continue to play well and freshman CJ Cox hit some huge shots at a pivotal moment. It was only Game 4, but Matt Painter's team already looks like it's in midseason form.

2. Indiana Hoosiers

Records: 3-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: No. 16; Coaches: No. 18; KenPom: No. 32
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 2 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated South Carolina 87-71 on Nov. 16.
Last week: Defeated South Carolina 87-71.
This week: UNC-Greensboro on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
The skinny: There aren't many opportunities against Power Five opponents in the nonconference season for Indiana, but it took advantage on Saturday agains South Carolina. The Hoosiers got really solid guard play from Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle, as well as Trey Galloway off the bench. The most promising sign? Indiana made eight-of-17 shots from 3-point range and shot 51% from the floor.

3. Illinois Fighting Illini

Records: 3-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: No. 25; Coaches: No. 20; KenPom: No. 25
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 3 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated Oakland 66-54.
This week: Alabama on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (CM Newton Classic in Birmingham, Ala.) (TV: SEC Network); Maryland Eastern on Satutday at 4 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
The skinny: Only one game for Illinois last week, but it got another solid outing from Tomislav Ivisic, who scored 20 points in a win over Oakland. The Fighting Illini will have their first true test of the season on Wednesday, playing Alabama in Birmingham.

4. Wisconsin Badgers

Records: 4-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: No. 19; Coaches: No. 25; KenPom: No. 29
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 9 (up 5 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 9 Arizona 103-88 on Nov. 15.
Last week: Defeated Arizona 103-88.
This week: UT-Rio Grande on Monday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); UCF on Friday at 5 p.m. ET (Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.) (TV: CBS Sports Network); TBD on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET or 5:30 p.m. ET (Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.) (TV: CBS Sports Network).
The skinny: Did we undervalue Wisconsin before the season started? The Badgers got a huge win over No. 9 Arizona, winning a track meet on Friday night. Senior John Tonje was unstoppable, going off for 41 points while shooting eight-of-14 from the floor and knocking down four triples. Wisconsin has now scored 85 points or more in three of their first four games. Greg Gard has certainly embraced a new style of basketball in Madison.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

Records: 2-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 13 votes; Coaches: Received 3 votes; KenPom: No. 26
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 4 (down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 19 Texas on Nov. 4.
Last week: Defeated Youngstown State 81-47; Lost to Texas A&M 78-64.
This week: Evansville on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); Campbell on Friday at 6 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Well, Ohio State couldn't go 2-0 against the state of Texas in nonconference play. Texas A&M lived at the free throw line, making 32 attempts while Ohio State shot just 22. It was a poor shooting performance from both sides, but the Buckeyes got valuable road experience early in the season. Let's see how they respond with two home games this week.

6. Michigan State Spartans

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 16 votes; Coaches: Received 9 votes; KenPom: No. 41
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 5 (down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Lost to Kansas 77-69; Defeated Bowling Green 86-72.
This week: Samford on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock).
The skinny: Michigan State nearly upset Kansas on the State Farm Champions Classic, but couldn't make enough plays down the stretch. Still, it was an impressive outing from Tom Izzo's team, which is incredibly athletic. If a few more shots go down from 3-point range — MSU was three-of-24 for the game — it might've been a different story. The Spartans responded with a nice home win over Bowling Green over the weekend.

7. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Records: 3-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: No. 24; Coaches: Received 56 votes; KenPom: No. 64
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 6 (down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated St. Peter's 75-65; Defeated Monmouth 98-81.
This week: Merrimack on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); At Kennesaw State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (TV: CBS Sports Network).
The skinny: We got our first glimpse of freshman Ace Bailey on Friday, and he didn't disappoint. He finished the game with 17 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, fellow freshman Dylan Harper dropped 20 points, dished six assists and collected five boards. This is a special tandem, one that can make some noise in the Big Ten.

8. UCLA Bruins

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 23
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 7 (down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Lost to New Mexico on Nov. 8.
Last week: Defeated Boston 71-41; Defeated Lehigh 85-45.
This week: Idaho State on Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Fullerton on Friday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: After a disappointing loss to New Mexico last week, UCLA bounced back and posted a 31-point win over Boston and 40-point victory against Lehigh. The one concerning aspect about the Bruins right now? They're shooting just 26.4% from 3-point range. It didn't matter last week, but when the schedule toughens up, UCLA is going to need to be able to knock down shots from distance.

9. Maryland Terrapins

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 1 vote; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 37
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 11 (up 2 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated Florida A&M 84-53; Lost to Marquette 78-74.
This week: Canisius on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); Villanova on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (Saatva Empire Classic in Newark, N.J.) (TV: ESPN).
The skinny: Kevin Willard almost notched a big-time win over Marquette. Even in the loss, the Terrapins look like a much better team than they were a season ago. Derik Queen is going to pose problems and appears to be a Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate, averaging 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game thus far. Maryland gets another Big East opponent this weekend, taking on Villanova.

10. Oregon Ducks

Records: 4-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 7 votes; Coaches: Received 4 votes; KenPom: No. 33
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 8 (down 2 spots)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated Portland 80-70 (OT); Defeated Troy 82-61.
This week: At Oregon State on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN-Plus).
The skinny: Oregon avoided a scare at the hands of Portland last week, but eventually pulled out a 10-point win in overtime. The Ducks had a much easier time with Troy later in the week. The Ducks continue to cause chaos defensively, averaging 8.5 steals per game, as well as 2.8 blocks. Nate Bittle has been consistent through the first four games, averaging 14.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

11. Iowa Hawkeyes

Records: 4-0 overall,0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 46
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 10 (down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated Washington State 76-66 on Nov. 15
Last week: Defeated South Dakota 96-77; Defeated Washington State 76-66
This week: Rider on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); Utah State on Friday at 8 p.m. ET (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo.) (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: The Hawkeyes faced a little adversity early in the year. In Friday's game against Washington State, Iowa trailed by as many as nine points in the game before roaring back. Owen Freeman and Payton Sandfort had big games, but it was Drew Thelwell's late seven points that provided the biggest spark for the Hawkeyes late in the game to improve to 4-0 on the year.

12. Penn State Nittany Lions

Records: 4-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 4 votes; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 34
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 13 (up 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated Virginia Tech 86-64 on Nov. 15.
Last week: Defeated St. Francis (Pa.) 92-62; Defeated Virginia Tech 86-64.
This week: Purdue-Fort Wayne on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
The skinny: Here's a fun fact: Penn State hasn't won a game by fewer than 22 points this season. It's only Year 2 for Mike Rhoades and we're still incredibly early in the season, but the Nittany Lions have played exceptionally well through the first two weeks. Should they be higher in the power rankings? Maybe. It's a little hard to tell, based on competition level, but Penn State could be a much better team than people expected.

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 66
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 12 (down 1 spot)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 86-60; Lost to St. Mary's 77-74.
This week: At Creighton on Friday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
The skinny: Nebraska found itself in a 14-point hole early against St. Mary's but dug out of it and had opportunities to win down the stretch. The Huskers are still figuring some things out on both ends of the court, but they showed a lot of fight over the weekend. The key for Nebraska is figuring out the turnover situation. The Huskers had 15 against St. Mary's and are averaging 13.5 per game thus far.

14. Michigan Wolverines

Records: 2-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: Received 1 vote; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 30
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 14 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: Defeated TCU 76-64 on Nov. 15.
Last week: Defeated TCU 76-64.
This week: Miami (Ohio) on Monday at 6 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Tarleton State on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Somehow, Michigan found a way to overcome 21 (!) turnovers to beat TCU. Usually, that's a recipe for disaster in college basketball. But the Wolverines had some positives, shooting 50% from the floor and winning the rebound battle 41-29. It wasn't the prettiest game, but you'll take the wins however you can get them.

15. Northwestern Wildcats

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 51
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 15 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated UIC 83-74; Defeated Eastern Illinois 67-58 (OT).
This week: Montana State on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Pepperdine on Friday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
The skinny: There may be more cause for concern about Northwestern than we thought. The Wildcats limped to wins over UIC and Eastern Illinois last week. Yes, the important thing is piling up the wins, but the Wildcats haven't flexed their muscle against these weaker opponents in the way you'd like. It's still early in the year and there might still be some growing pains in Evanston.

16. USC Trojans

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 76
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 16 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated UT-Arlington 98-95; Lost to Cal 71-66.
This week: San Jose State on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); Grambling on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
The skinny: A disappointing loss for Eric Musselman's squad over the weekend, falling to Cal. But the Trojans also struggled in a three-point win over UT-Arlington. Right now, the two biggest issues with USC are rebounding and 3-point shooting. The Trojans have lost the rebounding battle in each of their last three games and are shooting under 30% from 3-point range through four games.

17. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 75
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 17 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Lost to North Texas 54-51; Defeated Yale 59-56.
This week: Cleveland State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
The skinny: Someone other than Dawson Garcia is going to have to step up. It proved costly in last week's loss to North Texas. Garcia scored 24 points, accounting for nearly half of the Golden Gophers' points. So far, Garcia is averaging 25.5 points per game and nobody else is averaging more than 8.5 points. Minnesota needs someone else to provide some support.

18. Washington Huskies

Records: 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 84
Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 18 (no change)
Best wins/worst losses: N/A
Last week: Defeated Seattle Pacific 77-62; Defeated UMass Lowell 74-69.
This week: Alcorn State on Friday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
The skinny: The shooting really didn't look any better last week than it did in Washington's first two games. It's only four games, but this is a team that's really struggling to find the bottom of the bucket. Fortunately, the Huskies have a favorable nonconference schedule to try to work out some of those struggles.