Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings (Vol. 7): UCLA, Oregon Continue to Climb

Two new additions to the Big Ten — UCLA and Oregon — have been two of the most impressive teams thus far. How far have they climbed in the power rankings?

UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) celebrates with Eric Dailey Jr. (3) / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We've reached that not-so-sweet spot in the college basketball calendar. With the holidays just around the corner, college finals taking place and students headed off for winter break, there are fewer games on the schedule for the rest of the month.

Teams in the Big Ten only have a handful of games remaining before the calendar turns to 2025. How much shifting will we see in the power rankings over the next two weeks? That's always difficult to predict.

For now, though, here's how the 18 teams in the Big Ten stack up after another week of college hoops.

1. Michigan State Spartans

• Records: 8-2 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 20; Coaches: No. 19; KenPom: No. 17
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 1 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 12 North Carolina 94-91 (OT) on Nov. 27.
• Last week: No games.
• This week: vs. Oakland (Detroit, Mich.) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN 2); vs. Florida Atlantic on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
• The skinny: Michigan State should be well rested for this week, not having played a game since Dec. 7. There's really not much to evaluate from East Lansing right now. It'll be interesting to see if there's any rust in Tuesday's game against Oakland after a 10-day break.

2. Oregon Ducks

• Records: 10-1 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 10; Coaches: No. 10; KenPom: No. 19
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 3 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst loss: Defeated No. 20 Texas A&M 80-70 on Nov. 26; Defeated San Diego State 78-68 on Nov. 27; Defeated No. 9 Alabama 83-81 on Nov. 30.
• Last week: Defeated Stephen F. Austin 79-61.
• This week: vs. Stanford (San Jose Tip-Off in San Jose, Calif) on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Oregon had no trouble last week agaisnt Stephen F. Austin but will take a California road trip this weekend, taking on Stanford in San Jose. The Cardinal are 8-2 on the season and could be an intriguing test for Dana Altman's squad.

3. Michigan Wolverines

• Records: 8-2 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 24; Coaches: No. 21; KenPom: No. 23
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 2 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated TCU 76-64 on Nov. 15; Defeated No. 22 Xavier 78-53 on Nov. 27; Defeated No. 11 Wisconsin 67-64 on Dec. 3.
• Last week: Lost to Arkansas 89-87.
• This week: vs. Oklahoma (Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.) on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN 2).
• The skinny: The winning streak ended at seven games over the weekend, as Michigan dropped an 89-87 heartbreaker to Arkansas. Despite the 8-2 record, the Wolverines continue to struggle with turnovers, averaging more than 15 per game. That's still something that needs to be cleaned up by the Big Ten play comes around.

4. UCLA Bruins

• Records: 9-1 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 18; Coaches: No. 18; KenPom: No. 13
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 5 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Lost to New Mexico on Nov. 8; Defeated No. 12 Oregon 73-71 on Dec. 8.
• Last week: Defeated Arizona 57-54.
• This week: vs. Prairie View on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); vs. North Carolina (CBS Sports Classic in New York, N.Y.) on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET (TV: CBS).
• The skinny: It wasn't exactly pretty, but UCLA found a way to escape with a win over Arizona last weekend. The play of Skyy Clark and Tyler Bilodeau really helped, as the two combined for 32 points in the victory. The Bruins still have games against North Carolina and Gonzaga on the schedule this month, giving Mick Cronin's team a chance to jump up in the power rankings.

5. Purdue Boilermakers

• Records: 8-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP Poll: No. 16; Coaches Poll: No. 17; KenPom: No. 21
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 4 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 2 Alabama 87-78 on Nov. 15; Defeated No. 23 Ole Miss 80-78 on Nov. 29.
• Last week: Lost to Texas A&M 70-66.
• This week: at Auburn (in Birmingham, Ala.) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN).
• The skinny: Purdue continues to struggle on the boards and with turnovers against teams with length. The Boilermakers are going to have to figure out ways to protect the basketball better in those matchups. This team faces another significant challenge this weekend, taking on Auburn in Birmingham.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Records: 7-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 70 votes; Coaches: Received 50 votes; KenPom: No. 16
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 7 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 19 Arkansas 90-77 on Nov. 28; Defeated Wisconsin 86-80 on Dec. 10.
• Last week: Defeated Wisconsin 86-80; Lost to Tennessee 66-64.
• This week: vs. Missouri (in St. Louis) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN).
• The skinny: One defensive stop was all Illinois needed to potentially upset the top-ranked team in the country. That's pretty impressive after shooting below 30% from the floor, making just four 3-pointers, losing the rebounding battle and finishing the game with more turnovers. Bottom line? Illinois found a way to keep it close against one of the best teams in college basketball despite all the errors.

7. Wisconsin Badgers

• Records: 9-3 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 18 votes; Coaches: Received 22 votes; KenPom: No. 35
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 6 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 9 Arizona 103-88 on Nov. 15; Defeated Pitt 81-75 on Nov. 24.
• Last week: Lost to Illinois 86-80; Defeated Butler 83-74.
• This week: vs. Detroit Mercy on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: "Streaky" might be the best way to describe Wisconsin this season. The Badgers started the year 8-0, then dropped three straight games — including an 0-2 start in Big Ten play. They were able to get back in the win column over the weekend, defeating Butler 83-74. All five starters reached double figures in the win. Wisconsin has just one nonconference game remaining before jumping back into Big Ten play.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Records: 9-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 8 votes; Coaches: Received 2 votes; KenPom: No. 32
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 8 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated Virginia Tech 86-64 on Nov. 15; Defeated No. 8 Purdue 81-70 on Dec. 5.
• Last week: Lost to Rutgers 80-76; Defeated Coppin State 99-51.
• This week: at Drexel (in Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia) on Saturday at noon ET (TV: FloSports).
• The skinny: Winning on the road in the Big Ten is something that Mike Rhoades' team is still learning to do. The Nittany Lions had opportunities, but fell short against Rutgers in Piscataway. Penn State got a nice bounce-back victory, taking care of Coppin State easily.

9. Maryland Terrapins

• Records: 8-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 24 votes; Coaches: Received 29 votes; KenPom: No. 20
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 9 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated Ohio State 83-59 on Dec. 4.
• Last week: No games.
• This week: vs. St. Francis (PA) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); vs. Syracuse (Nutrafol Gotham Classic in Brooklyn) on Saturday at noon ET (TV: ESPN).
• The skinny: Maryland is another team that got a some time off last week. The Terps get a tune-up game against St. Francis before taking on Syracuse in Brooklyn over the weekend. This will be another good test for Kevin Willard's team.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Records: 8-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 45
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 10 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated Washington State 76-66 on Nov. 15.
• Last week: Lost to Iowa State 89-80; Defeated New Orleans 104-57.
• This week: vs. Utah (in Sioux Falls, S.D.) on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: For 30 minutes, Iowa was in complete control against its in-state rival and one of the top teams in the country. Beating Iowa State would have served as a huge resume booster for the Hawkeyes early in the year. But Iowa's inability to keep the Cyclones off the boards and out of the paint proved costly. It's been an issue for the Hawkeyes through the first 10 games.

11. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Records: 7-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 54
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 11 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated Creighton 74-63 on Nov. 22.
• Last week: Defeated Indiana 85-68.
• This week: vs. Murray State (Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu) on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN).
• The skinny: How do you respond to a blowout loss? How about with a 17-point victory on your home court? Brice Williams torched the Hoosiers, scoring 30 points while making 10-of-15 shots from the floor. The Huskers also got major contributions from Juwan Gary, Connor Essegian and Andrew Morgan.

12. Northwestern Wildcats

• Records: 8-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 56
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 13 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 19 Illinois 70-66 on Dec. 6.
• Last week: Defeated Georgia Tech 71-60.
• This week: vs. DePaul on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Northwestern picked up a solid win over Georgia Tech on a neutral court, getting a lot of production from the starting five. But the Wildcats struggle with depth, which could be a major problem when we get into the meat of the Big Ten season.

13. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Records: 6-4 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 36
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 12 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 19 Texas on Nov. 4.
• Last week: Lost to Auburn 91-53.
• This week: vs. Valparaiso on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); vs. Kentucky (CBS Sports Classic in New York, N.Y.) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET (TV: CBS).
• The skinny: Sometimes, it's just better to forget about a game. Ohio State was run out of the gym on Saturday, losing by nearly 40 points to a skilled Auburn team. How will the Buckeyes respond this week, especially with a matchup against a talented Kentucky team scheduled for the weekend?

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Records: 7-4 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 76
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 15 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Lost to Kennesaw State 79-77 on Nov. 24; Defeated Notre Dame 85-84 (OT) on Nov. 26; Defeated Penn State 80-76 on Dec. 10.
• Last week: Defeated Penn State 80-76; Defeated Seton Hall 66-63.
• This week: vs. Princeton (Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, N.J.) on Saturday at noon ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
• The skinny: Two significant wins for Steve Pikiell's team last week. Will it provide the Scarlet Knights with the spark they need as the nonconference schedule winds down? This is a Rutgers squad that has a lot of high-caliber talent, but it's still learning how to win basketball games. Maybe a pair of close victories will provide this team with more confidence moving forward.

15. Indiana Hoosiers

• Records: 8-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 7 votes; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 52
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 14 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated South Carolina 87-71 on Nov. 16.
• Last week: Defeated Minnesota 82-67; Lost to Nebraska 85-68.
• This week: vs. Chattanooga on Saturday at noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Indiana continues to struggle against teams with a pulse. The shooting woes for the Hoosiers continued on Friday, making just eight-of-35 shots from 3-point range. For the year, IU is making just 33.7% of its shots from distance.

16. USC Trojans

• Records: 7-4 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 86
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 16 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Lost to Saint Mary's 71-36 on Nov. 28.
• Last week: Defeated Montana State 89-63.
• This week: vs. CSU Northridge on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); vs. Southern on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: USC picked up another sizable win over a mid-major program, but there's not much else to say about the Trojans right now. With games against CSU Northridge and Southern, we probably won't learn much more about USC until January.

17. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Records: 6-5 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 116
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 17 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Lost to North Texas 54-51 on Nov. 13; Lost to Wichita State 68-66 (OT) on Nov. 28.
• Last week: Lost to Indiana 82-67.
• This week: vs. Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: The long break between the loss to Indiana and Saturday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson might be the best medicine for Minnesota. The Gophers need to find someone to complement Dawson Garcia on the court, otherwise, it's going to be a long season in the Twin Cities.

18. Washington Huskies

• Records: 7-3 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 102
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 18 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: Lost to USC 85-61 on Dec. 7.
• Last week: Defeated Eastern Washington 87-69.
• This week: vs. Washington State on Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
• The skinny: Washington was able to pick up a win over dropping back-to-back Big Ten games. Will that give the Huskies some confidence heading into a rivalry bout with Washington State this week?