B1G Basketball Power Rankings, Dec. 11: What is wrong with Michigan State and Iowa?

The college basketball season continues onward with conference openers throughout the country. Now, teams settle in to wrap up the rest of the nonconference action before the start of the New Year.

Around the B1G, a quartet of teams have solidified their current spots as the top group of competitors in the conference. After that, these power rankings are indeed jumbled up a bit with any possible combinations fitting teams 5 through 14.

The B1G slate is bound to provide a clearer picture. But, for now, here is a look at how the B1G power rankings shape up with 3 weeks left in December:

14. Maryland (5-4)

Maryland does have a B1G win, but that came against Penn State in the midst of a particularly ugly stretch for the Nittany Lions. The Terrapins still have work to do to make up for some of the early-season failures in nonconference play, and it will take some heavy lifting in the B1G slate.

13. Penn State (5-5)

Penn State pulled off a remarkable comeback win, erasing an 18-point deficit to stun Ohio State. Kanye Clary scored 19 points while Ace Baldwin Jr. provided the dagger in the 83-80 win. Unfortunately, that win alone does not erase the other blemishes of the previous 5-game losing streak.

12. Minnesota (7-3)

Minnesota has a chance to reach January in a solid position after back-to-back wins over Nebraska and FGCU. The win over the Huskers even came with Minnesota star Dawson Garcia limited to just 7 minutes before an injury. We’ll see how the Golden Gophers find a way to grow in Garcia’s absence.

11. Iowa (5-5)

Iowa was off to a solid start before a 3-game losing streak dropped the Hawkeyes to 0-2 in the B1G. Two of those games were on the road, but all 3 losses have come by double-digits, including a home loss to Michigan.

10. Michigan State (4-5)

At some point, Michigan State is going to need to string together some positive results. To this point, the win over Butler is the only quality game for the Spartans, and Tom Izzo’s group is now 0-2 in league play.

9. Rutgers (6-3)

Rutgers has been up-and-down throughout nonconference play. The Scarlet Knights were blown out on the road against Wake Forest but responded with a win over Seton Hall. Aundre Hyatt and Cliff Omoruyi continue to lead the team while Noah Fernandes has been a quality pickup from the portal.

8. Michigan (5-5)

Michigan registered a road win over Iowa, at least that’s something positive for the program to this point. Right now, a bigger concern might be allegations of an altercation involving Juwan Howard and a Michigan assistant that is reportedly under review by the university.

7. Nebraska (8-2)

Count Nebraska as the early-season surprise in the B1G, even with the road loss to Minnesota. The Huskers topped Michigan State for the first time since 2016 with Juwan Gary scoring 20 points. We’ll see if Nebraska can handle the rest of its nonconference slate before heading back into the B1G slate in January.

6. Ohio State (8-2)

Ohio State had a great chance to start with a 2-0 record in the B1G slate. Unfortunately, a huge blown lead to Penn State resulted in an 83-80 loss on the road. The Buckeyes are still in good shape heading into a matchup against UCLA, but that kind of loss to the Nittany Lions is not one a team hoping to compete for the B1G title can afford.

5. Indiana (7-2)

A nice road win over Michigan gives Indiana a 2-0 start in conference action. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers came off that win with a blowout loss to Auburn in Atlanta. Mike Woodson’s group gets a chance to face Kansas this weekend in another shot at a marquee nonconference win.

4. Northwestern (7-1)

Northwestern did not suffer a letdown from the upset of Purdue, blasting Detroit Mercy in nonconference play. Nick Martinelli delivered 22 points in that rout as the Wildcats prepare for more games outside the B1G to finish December.

3. Wisconsin (7-3)

Wisconsin opened the B1G slate with a road win over Michigan State. Even for a Spartan program that’s struggling, wins in East Lansing should not be discredited. The loss at Arizona shows the areas the Badgers must improve, but they should be in the thick of the B1G race.

2. Illinois (7-2)

Illinois did take a road loss to Tennessee with the Vols dominating the glass and holding the Illini to 25% shooting from 3-point range. Brad Underwood’s squad did register a win over FAU, and both of Illinois’ losses this season are to top 25 teams.

1. Purdue (9-1)

Purdue responded to the loss to Northwestern by dialing up a blowout win over Iowa and then beating Alabama in Toronto. Zach Edey delivered 35 points against the Tide and Braden Smith caught fire with 27 points and 8 assists. Now, the Boilermakers brace for their shot against No. 1 Arizona in a top-5 showdown.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.