Week 1 B1G basketball power rankings

Through the first week of the season, expectation has been reality in the Big Ten.

Michigan and Purdue look like the class of the league, with Ohio State, Maryland and Illinois (especially once Kofi Cockburn gets back in the lineup) appearing to be solid challengers. But schedules start to get more challenging this week, so we’ll find out more not only about the top 5, but the other 9 as well.

Let’s take a look at the Week 1, Nov. 16, power rankings:

1. Michigan

Record: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten | Last week: 1

Any questions about the supporting cast around Michigan star Hunter Dickinson have been erased, and Michigan is only 2 games into the season. Freshman Caleb Houstan has been all anyone could have hoped for, as the athletic forward has played like a veteran in averaging 12 points and 4.5 rebounds. He’s probably — already — the Wolverines’ most versatile player, capable of scoring inside, but also from the perimeter, where he’s hit a team-high 5 3-pointers in 12 attempts.

2. Purdue

Record: 2-0, 0-0 | Last week: 2

Here’s how deep the Boilermakers are: They have an All-Big Ten center, arguably one of the top-5 players in the league, coming off the bench, because the guy who is starting in front of Trevion Williams has been nearly unstoppable through 2 games; sophomore Zach Edey, a 7-foot-4 giant, is averaging 19 points and 9.5 rebounds in only 19.5 minutes per game. He’s missed only 2 of his 14 field goal attempts and is 14-of-17 from the free throw line, and he has 4 blocks, showing growth on the defensive side. He’s been incredible.

3. Ohio State

Record: 3-0 | Last week: 4

The Buckeyes had to escape a home upset bid by Akron in the opener, when they got a bucket from Zed Key at the buzzer to win by 1. Since then, they’ve rolled to a couple blowout home wins. Many opponents are going to struggle with Ohio State’s length, not only inside but on the perimeter, too. For the first half of their matchup, Bowling Green couldn’t get into the lane, let alone get easy buckets. But OSU is dealing with injury issues, as always seems the case early in seasons, with Seth Towns and Justice Sueing out. After the Bowling Green win, coach Chris Holtmann didn’t seem overly optimistic about the timetable for return.

4. Illinois

Record: 2-1 | Last week: 3

Illinois completely fell apart in the final minutes vs. Marquette Monday night, losing its Gavitt Games matchup with a maddening string of turnovers down the stretch. The Fighting Illini twice turned the ball over in the final 20 seconds — and had 26 turnovers for the game — as the Golden Eagles marched back from down 8 with 5 minutes left. During that stretch, the Fighting Illini scored only a point, as Andre Curbelo too often tried to take over himself rather than run an offense. He committed 7 turnovers and missed 14 of 18 field goal attempts. The return of Kofi Cockburn should help; the All-America center missed the first 3 games after being suspended by the NCAA for selling team-issued apparel.

5. Maryland

Record: 3-0, 0-0 | Last week: 5

Can’t ask for much more than what Maryland has gotten out of two of its newcomers: Point guard Fatts Russell and center Qudus Wahab. The duo is combining to average 30 points and 14 rebounds per game, giving the Terrapins answers at 2 of their biggest personnel question marks. Heck, Maryland played last season — and won a game in the NCAA Tournament — without a legitimate point guard or center. But now they’ve got tremendous production from Russell, a transfer from Rhode Island, and Wahab, who starred last season at Georgetown.

6. Indiana

Record: 2-0, 0-0 | Last week: 6

A couple of Hoosiers — veteran Trayce Jackson-Davis and newcomer Xavier Johnson — have gotten off to quick starts to the season, but Mike Woodson is going to need more players to step into contributing roles. But having an excellent center and a solid point guard is a good place to start. So far, however, Indiana isn’t shooting well from the outside, a big bugaboo last season, making only 25.5 percent of its 3-point attempts through the first 2 games. The Hoosiers will have a lower ceiling if they can’t pour it in from the perimeter. The good news, though, is that Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart, who have yet to get going this year, are traditionally solid shooters from beyond the arc.

7. Iowa

Record: 2-0, 0-0 | Last week: 7

The Hawkeyes needed sophomore Keegan Murray to step into a starring role after being a role player a year ago. Mission Accomplished. Through 2 games, Murray, one of the most versatile forwards in the Big Ten, is averaging nearly 25 points while shooting 68 percent from the field and being 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He also has 11 total rebounds, 6 blocks and 3 steals. If Iowa is to move up in the Big Ten, and maybe jump itself into contention for a spot in the Field of 68, this Murray will play a big part. But Iowa’s supporting cast is a lot better than many realize.

8. Michigan State

Record: 1-1, 0-0 | Last week: 8

Michigan State responded to its opening-night New York City loss to Kansas by thumping Western Michigan. Neither result was a surprise. So who are the 2021-22 Spartans? It’s a yet-to-be-written book. But one area Tom Izzo’s squad would like to clean up immediately is ball security; even in the win over Western Michigan, MSU committed 13 turnovers. And it was 16 giveaways vs. the Jayhawks, one of the major reasons why the Spartans dropped the opener by 13 points. It’s especially important this season, as the Spartans’ path to victory is playing smart, efficient offense and solid defense. There’s not enough margin for error to do anything else.

9. Rutgers

Record: 2-0, 0-0 | Last week: 9

Rutgers needed overtime to win its opener vs. Lehigh, then locked down on Merrimack to start 2-0. The Scarlet Knights are going to have to defend this season, because they might be limited offensively. Rutgers desperately needs a shooter to add to guards Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker. It’s not happened so far. Rutgers has made only 5 of its first 27 3-point attempts, knocking them down at a pathetic 18.5 percent clip. Harper and Baker are a combined 4-of-17, but that’s better than their teammates, who have hit only 1 of their 10 attempts.

10. Northwestern

Record: 2-0, 0-0 | Last week: 11

The Wildcats have a chance to get to 4-0 before the schedule starts to get real, and maybe it’ll help Northwestern build a bit of confidence. Certainly couldn’t hurt. The Wildcats need Boo Buie to be a consistent player, after he was anything but last season, and so far that’s been the case. The veteran guard is averaging a team-high 18 points with a better than 6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Buie is the kind of player who can get hot and lead Northwestern to wins against the big boys, but if he disappears, which happened last year, the Wildcats’ chances for victory drop to near zero.

11. Wisconsin

Record: 2-1 | Last week: 10

The Badgers rolled through their first 2 games of the season, but couldn’t replicate the production once a quality opponent visited the Kohl Center. Providence handed Wisconsin its first loss, despite the fact that the Badgers got 25 points from Brad Davison and a career-high 16 from Tyler Wahl. The problem was the rest of the team combined for only 16 points on 5-of-32 shooting. It didn’t help matters that UW was without leading scorer Johnny Davis, who sat out with an apparent heel injury. The Badgers have multiple problems: Scoring, interior defense and injuries. It all added up to a loss to the Fryers.

12. Minnesota

Record: 3-0, 0-0 | Last week: 14

Under new coach Ben Johnson, Minnesota has to be pleased with its start, winning its first 3 games, including a double-overtime victory against Princeton in the Asheville Championship. Senior guard Payton Willis, one of the only returnees this season for Minnesota, was the MVP of the four-team tournament, going off in the overtimes by scoring 16 of his career-high 29 points to carry the Gophers to victory. Forward Jamison Battle, who transferred in from George Washington, has been great and given Minnesota a solid 1-2 punch with Willis; he’s averaged team-highs of 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in the first 3 games.

13. Penn State

Record: 1-1 | Last week: 13

Penn State received its first wake-up call of the Micah Shrewsberry Era Monday night when it traveled to UMass and got smoked by the Minutemen. The Nittany Lions were equally bad on offense as defense, turning what looked like a competitive game at halftime into a blowout in the second half. UMass won by 25. Shrewsberry might be able to fix PSU’s defense, but what about the offense? That’ll be a more difficult puzzle to put together.

14. Nebraska

Record: 1-1, 0-0 | Last week: 12

In Fred Hoiberg’s third season as Nebraska’s head coach, this is supposed to be the year that the Cornhuskers start to take a step forward. But in the home opener, Nebraska lost a 1-point game to visiting Western Illinois. In Game 2, it had to overcome a 10-point second-half deficit to beat Sam Houston. The positive: 5-star freshman Bryce McGowens totaled 29 points, tying the second-highest total by a freshman in school history, on 9-of-13 shooting, with 4 3-pointers and 5 rebounds.