B1G Basketball Power Rankings, Feb. 3: Nebraska relinquishes the throne, Indiana on the warpath

The Big Red machine finally hit a speed bump, and the Big Ten has a brand-new view from the top.

After months of Nebraska dominance, the last 7 days gave us a pretty big shakeup. We saw the Cornhuskers’ undefeated dream die at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines, a double-overtime thriller in Los Angeles, and the Illinois Fighting Illini extending a winning streak that is starting to look historic. With February officially here, the separation between the contenders and the pretenders is becoming clear, even if the middle of the pack remains a total blender.

Here’s how the 18 Big Ten teams stack up as of Tuesday, Feb. 3:

18. Oregon (8-14 overall, 1-10 in the Big Ten)

The slide continues in Eugene. The Oregon Ducks have now lost 8 straight games, the latest being a frustrating effort against Iowa where the offense simply went cold in the second half. Dana Altman has survived late-season collapses before, but with a 1-10 conference mark, the post-season outlook is looking bleak. The Ducks are struggling to find a consistent secondary scorer to help out their backcourt. How bad is it? Oregon hasn’t even lost a game by single digits since an 88-85 loss at Rutgers back on Jan. 5. Yikes.

17. Penn State (10-12, 1-10)

Finally, a breakthrough! The Penn State Nittany Lions are officially on the board in Big Ten play after a gritty win over Minnesota this weekend. Freddie Dilione’s steal and breakaway slam provided the spark Mike Rhoades has been begging for all winter. It may be too late for a tournament run, but Penn State showed it still has enough fight to play spoiler in the season’s final month.

16. Maryland (8-13, 1-9)

Maryland fans are ready for the spring. The Terps were thoroughly outclassed by Purdue in a 30-point rout on Sunday, failing to find any answer for the Boilermakers’ interior size. David Coit provided a few highlights with some step-back treys, but the defensive rotations were a step slow all afternoon. It’s a rebuilding year in College Park, and the growing pains are evident.

15. Rutgers (9-13, 2-9)

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights couldn’t quite close the door on USC, falling in a tight finish that underscored their season-long offensive struggles. Steve Pikiell’s group still plays with immense effort, but they lack the go-to bucket-getter needed to win close games in this league (Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper aren’t walking through that door). With 5 straight losses, the vibes in Piscataway are at a season low.

14. Northwestern (10-12, 2-9)

The Northwestern Wildcats check in at No. 14 this week after a disappointing road loss to Washington. Nick Martinelli continues to do everything in his power to keep this team afloat, but the supporting cast hasn’t been consistent enough. Northwestern’s defense, usually a staple under Chris Collins, has been surprisingly porous during this recent stretch.

13. Minnesota (10-12, 3-8)

Losing to Penn State — the conference’s last winless team — is a tough pill to swallow for Ben Johnson. The Minnesota Golden Gophers have now dropped 7 straight and look like a team that has lost its confidence. They’ll need a get-right game against Michigan State this week, but that’s a tall order given how the Spartans are playing.

12. Washington (12-10, 4-7)

The Huskies got back in the win column by taking care of business against Northwestern. It wasn’t always pretty, but Washington found enough rhythm in the second half to pull away. Playing in the Midwest is still a work in progress for this group, but they’ve shown enough flashes to suggest they could be a tough out in the early rounds of the Big Ten Tournament.

11. USC (16-6, 5-6)

Eric Musselman’s Trojans stopped the bleeding with a narrow win over Rutgers. USC has the talent of a top-25 team, but it has struggled with consistency throughout January. If the Trojans can build on this momentum during their home stand, they could easily jump back into the top half of these rankings by next week.

10. Ohio State (14-7, 6-5)

The Ohio State Buckeyes fall back to the middle of the pack after a double-overtime heartbreak against Wisconsin. Jake Diebler’s squad had multiple chances to put the Badgers away, but they couldn’t secure the defensive rebounds when it mattered most. They are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble right now and need to avoid any bad losses in February.

9. UCLA (15-7, 7-4)

The UCLA Bruins were on the wrong end of a classic on Saturday, falling to Indiana in double overtime after a furious comeback to force the extra periods. Mick Cronin’s defense is as advertised, but the Bruins struggled to contain Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson when it mattered most. The Bruins remain a near-lock for the tournament, but the ceiling for this team depends on finding more consistent scoring.

8. Indiana (15-7, 6-5)

Talk about a week! Darian DeVries has the Indiana Hoosiers playing their best basketball of the season. After knocking off rival Purdue at home, they went into Pauley Pavilion and survived a 2OT war. Lamar Wilkerson has emerged as a legitimate star, and the Hoosiers are suddenly among the hottest teams in the conference. The NCAA Tournament talk is back in full swing in Bloomington.

7. Iowa (16-5, 6-4)

Ben McCollum has the Iowa Hawkeyes humming again. Iowa has won 4 straight, including a solid victory over Oregon where Bennett Stirtz looked like the best point guard in the league. The Hawkeyes are playing an efficient, high-IQ brand of basketball that is going to be very difficult to scout in March.

6. Wisconsin (16-6, 8-3)

Never count out Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers took care of business against Minnesota before winning an absolute marathon against Ohio State in 2OT. Wisconsin doesn’t always pass the eye test with explosive athleticism, but the Badgers are veteran, disciplined, and they know how to win close games. They are quietly sitting in a great position in the standings.

5. Purdue (18-4, 8-3)

The Purdue Boilermakers finally exhaled on Sunday. After a disastrous 3-game skid, Matt Painter’s crew took out their frustrations on Maryland. Freshman Gicarri Harris and Daniel Jacobsen provided some much-needed energy. Purdue is no longer the invincible force we saw in November, but it is still a top-tier threat when it isn’t turning the ball over.

4. Michigan State (19-3, 9-2)

The Spartans’ 6-game winning streak came to a crashing halt against rival Michigan on Friday. Tom Izzo’s squad fought back from a huge deficit to tie it, but it simply ran out of gas. Despite the loss, Michigan State remains one of the most balanced teams in the country. A midweek tilt with Minnesota should provide a quick chance to get back on track.

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3. Nebraska (20-2, 9-2)

The dream of an undefeated season is over, and it ended with a thud. Losing back-to-back games to Michigan and Illinois proved that while the Huskers are elite, they aren’t invincible. Braden Frager is still a superstar, but the Huskers missed Rienk Mast’s presence in the paint during these losses. He played against Illinois, but anyone who watched him knew he wasn’t 100% healthy. They need to get healthy and refocus before what should be a manageable trip to Rutgers.

2. Illinois (19-3, 10-1)

Eleven straight wins. Let that sink in. Brad Underwood has built a juggernaut in Champaign. The Illini went into Lincoln and took down the top-5 Huskers, with Keaton Wagler continuing his scorched-earth freshman campaign. With Zvonimir Ivisic providing a vertical threat at the rim, this team has no obvious weaknesses right now.

1. Michigan (20-1, 10-1)

Dusty May has officially arrived. In the span of 4 days, the Michigan Wolverines beat the undefeated No. 5 team in the country (Nebraska) and then went on the road to dismantle their arch-rival (Michigan State). Michigan is playing with a pace and space that the rest of the Big Ten simply can’t keep up with. The Wolverines are the new kings of the conference, and right now, it’s hard to see anyone outside of Illinois potentially taking the crown away.