Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings (Vol. 2): Ohio State Notches Most Impressive Win

Without question, Ohio State earned the best win of any Big Ten team in the opening week. How high do the Buckeyes climb in the power rankings this week?

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Meechie Johnson Jr. (1) dribbles against Texas Longhorns guard Julian Larry (1) / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Jake Diebler didn't waste any time in picking up a signature win as the interim coach at Ohio State last season, and he didn't wait to get one as the permanent leader, either. Last week, the Buckeyes picked up a big win over No. 19 Texas to start the season 1-0 — the biggest win for any Big Ten team in the opening week.

Four teams in the league have already picked up a loss, with Michigan, Northwestern, UCLA and Washington all dropping a game in the first week. The other 14 teams remain undefeated.

It's hard to take too much away from the first week of the college basketball season, but there was still some movement in the power rankings. Here's the latest look.

1. Purdue Boilermakers

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP Poll: No. 13; Coaches Poll: No. 13; KenPom: No. 11
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 1 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 90-73; Defeated Northern Kentucky 72-50.
• This week: Yale on Monday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Alabama on Friday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock).
• The skinny: There's still an ongoing adjustment period without Zach Edey in the post, but the Boilermakers have gotten great production from their "Big 3" of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer so far. Purdue got some bad news over the weekend, learning that starting center Daniel Jacobsen is likely out for the season with a leg injury. Fortunately, Matt Painter has depth at that position. We'll see how good the Boilers are on Friday, hosting No. 2 Alabama at Mackey Arena.

2. Indiana Hoosiers

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 16; Coaches: No. 16; KenPom: No. 41
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 2 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated SIU-Edwardsville 80-61; Defeated Eastern Illinois 90-55.
• This week: South Carolina on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock).
• The skinny: Mackenzie Mgbako appears to be the leader of this new-look Indiana team, averaging 24.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in the first two games of the season. Trey Galloway has been an excellent distributor, accounting for 17 assists in the first two contests. Indiana has looked sluggish in the first half of both games so far, but was able to pull away in the second half for comfortable wins.

3. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 144 votes; Coaches: No. 20; KenPom: No. 19
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 4 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Eastern Illinois 112-67; Defeated SIU-Edwardsville 90-58.
• This week: Oakland on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: It looks like Tomislav Ivisic is the real deal, averaging 16 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in a 2-0 start to the season. Brad Underwood is probably happy he was ruled eligible for the season. Other than that, how much have we really learned about Illinois? They've beaten up on two bad teams so far. But they've looked good doing it. That's all that matters right now.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Records: 1-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 21; Coaches: No. 22; KenPom: No. 21
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 7 (up 3 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: Defeated No. 19 Texas on Nov. 4.
• Last week: Defeated Texas 80-72.
• This week: Youngstown State on Monday at 6 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); At Texas A&M on Friday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: SEC Network).
• The skinny: Nobody in the Big Ten had a more important win than Ohio State, taking down No. 19 Texas last week. The Buckeyes shot well from behind 3-point range, knocking down 14-of-28 shots from deep. In addition to the 20 points from Bruce Thornton and 17 from Micah Parish, Ohio State got nice production from Devin Royal and John Mobley Jr. off the bench, combining for 30 points. The Buckeyes have another important game this week, taking on Texas A&M on Friday night.

5. Michigan State Spartans

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 41 votes; Coaches: Received 29 votes; KenPom: No. 33
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 5 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Monmouth 81-57; Defeated Niagara 96-60.
• This week: Kansas on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET (State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta, Ga.) (TV: ESPN); Bowling Green on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Through two games, Jaxon Kohler looks like he's taken a big leap forward in 2024-25. He was dominant in Michigan State's win over Niagara, scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Can he produce at a consistent level? That's going to be the the big question for the forward. Jeremy Fears Jr. has done some nice things offensively, dishing out eight assists in each of the first two contests. A big test awaits Tom Izzo's team this week, taking on Kansas in the State Farm Champions Classic.

6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Records: 1-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: No. 24; Coaches: No. 24; KenPom: No. 60
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 6 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Wagner 75-52.
• This week: St. Peter's on Monday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); Monmouth on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: In his first collegiate game, Dylan Harper looked the part of a five-star prospect in the opener against Wagner. He finished the game with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals in a blowout. The Scarlet Knights had to play without fellow freshman Ace Bailey, but it'll be interesting to see what that tandem can do when they're both on the floor.

7. UCLA Bruins

• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: Received 18 votes; KenPom: No. 34
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 3 (down 4 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: Lost to New Mexico on Nov. 8.
• Last week: Defeated Rider 85-50; Lost to New Mexico 72-64.
• This week: Boston on Monday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Lehigh on Friday at 10 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
• The skinny: Talk about a disappointing start to the season. After a comfortable win over Rider, UCLA came up short in a loss to New Mexico. This is a Bruins team that's welcoming in a lot of new pieces, so it may take some time to jell. Mick Cronin's team may be a lot better in January than it is right now. There's no need to panic, but UCLA has to drop in the power rankings after that loss.

8. Oregon Ducks

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 14 votes; Coaches: Received 37 votes; KenPom: No. 22
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 8 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated UC-Riverside 91-76; Defeated Montana 79-48.
• This week: Portland on Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Troy on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
• The skinny: Oregon had a pair of convincing wins over UC-Riverside and Montana to open the season and the slate doesn't get much more difficult this week. So, it may be a bit before we know what to expect from the Ducks. The positives? This appears to be a really strong rebounding team (43.5 rebounds per game) and one that protects the basketball well (8.0 turnovers per game). Those are two major keys to finding success in the Big Ten

9. Wisconsin Badgers

• Records: 3-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 6 votes; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 40
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 9 (no change)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Holy Cross 85-61; Defeated Montana State 79-67; Defeated Appalachian State 87-56.
• This week: Arizona on Friday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock).
• The skinny: You could feel the panic all the way from Madison in the first half half on Wisconsin's opener against Holy Cross. Fortunately for Greg Gard, the Badgers overcame the sluggish start. Wisconsin was the only team to play three games last week, winning all three. Transfer guard John Tonje Jr. has had three solid performances for the Badgers, averaging 17.7 points per game thus far. John Blackwell and Nolan Winter look more comfortable in bigger roles, as well.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Records: 2-0 overall,0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 42
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 12 (up 2 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Texas A&M Commerce 89-67; Defeated Southern 89-74
• This week: South Dakota on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Washington State on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET (neutral site game at Vibrant Arena at The Mark in Moline, Ill.) (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: It shouldn't surprise anyone that Iowa scored 89 points in each of its first two games. The concern with the Hawkeyes always come on the defensive side. So far, Payton Sandfort looks like an All-Big Ten player, averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. Owen Freeman is a pretty good running mate, averaging 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest.

11. Maryland Terrapins

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 3 votes; Coaches: Received 5 votes; KenPom: No. 31
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 14 (up 3 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Manhattan 79-49; Defeated Mount St. Mary's 86-52
• This week: Florida A&M on Monday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); Marquette on Friday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
• The skinny: Maryland already looks better than it did a year ago. The Terrapins won each of their first two games by 30 points or more. They've done an excellent job defensively, averaging 11.5 steals and 5.0 blocks per game. This team still struggles to shoot from behind the 3-point line, hitting at just a 30.4% clip thus far.

12. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 70
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 10 (down 2 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated UT-Rio Grande 87-67; Defeated Bethune-Cookman 63-58.
• This week: Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); St. Mary's on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Saturday's game against Bethune-Cookman was probably a little too close for comfort. The Huskers looked out of sorts, making just four-of-22 shots from behind the 3-point line and ending the contest with 18 turnovers. Fred Hoiberg is another coach with a lot of new faces in the building, so it may take some time for this group to form a good chemistry.

13. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 44
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 16 (up 3 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Binghamton 108-66; Defeated UMBC 103-54
• This week: St. Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock); Virginia Tech on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET (Hall of Fame Series at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Md.) (TV: Peacock).
• The skinny: If there was a surprise team of the week, it might have been Penn State. Nobody is shocked that the Nittany Lions are 2-0, but they eclipsed 100 points in each of their first two games. Penn State is shooting better than 42% from 3-point range and is led by Zach Hicks, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Ace Baldwin Jr. and D'Marco Dunn. Is it possible we've been sleeping on Mike Rhoades team? We'll find out a lot more when they play Virginia Tech.

14. Michigan Wolverines

• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: Received 1 vote; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 29
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 11 (down 3 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Cleveland State 101-53; Lost to Wake Forest 72-70.
• This week: TCU on Friday at 6 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1).
• The skinny: Michigan had a chance to notch an important early-season win over Wake Forest but couldn't make enough plays down the stretch. Through two games, Michigan has really struggled with turnovers, which was a critical piece in Saturday's loss. The Wolverines have another signature game this Friday against TCU. We'll see how they respond after a disappointing defeat.

15. Northwestern Wildcats

• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 38
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 13 (down 2 spots)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Lehigh 90-46; Lost to Dayton 71-66.
• This week: UIC on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Eastern Illinois on Friday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Peacock).
• The skinny: Is it disappointing to have a loss this early in the year? Yes. But Dayton is a top-30 team in the KenPom rankings. Nick Martinelli has been phenomenal, averaging 29 points and 12 rebounds in the first two games. Northwestern is going to need others to step up around him in order to be successful, though.

16. USC Trojans

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 55
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 15 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Chattanooga 77-51; Defeated Idaho State 75-69.
• This week: UT-Arlington on Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Cal on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: If you want to talk about a poor-shooting team, USC is that squad right now. The Trojans are shooting under 66% from the free throw line and 28.9% from 3-point range. That's not ideal. USC will have its first signature matchup on Sunday, when it hosts Cal.

17. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 68
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 18 (up 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated Oral Roberts 80-57; Defeated Omaha 68-64.
• This week: North Texas on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus); Yale on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Minnesota was another Big Ten team who avoided disaster over the weekend, making just enough plays to escape with a win over Omaha. Dawson Garcia is doing everything for the Gophers right now, averaging 27 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Who else will step up for Minnesota?

18. Washington Huskies

• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Rankings: AP: NR; Coaches: NR; KenPom: No. 81
• Last Week's Power Ranking: No. 17 (down 1 spot)
• Best wins/worst losses: N/A
• Last week: Defeated UC-Davis 79-73; Lost to Nevada 63-53.
• This week: UMass Lowell on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten-Plus).
• The skinny: Simply put, Washington has looked bad in the first two games. They're shooting below 40% from the floor, are averaging 14.5 turnovers per game and don't have a single player averaging double digits. It's only two games, so we won't hit the panic button yet. Right now, though, there's a lot of room for improvement in Seattle.