Week 16 B1G basketball power rankings: Can Wisconsin finish its surprising run?

The Big Ten enters the last week of the regular season with questions to be answered.

Who wins the title? And who can bolster their NCAA Tournament résumés?

Let’s break down the Week 16, March 1, rankings in the B1G:

14. Nebraska

Record: 8-21 overall, 2-16 in the Big Ten | Last week: 14

Although not enough to get itself out of the cellar, nor out of the bottom of our rankings, Nebraska pulled off one of its best all-around victories — and maybe the most surprising win of the entire Big Ten season — Sunday night when the Cornhuskers won at Penn State 93-70. The 23-point margin was Nebraska’s widest in a conference game since 2016. Maybe it’s a sign that players were pleased with news earlier in the week, when AD Trev Alberts said coach Fred Hoiberg would be back next season, although with a lower annual salary and a significantly lower buyout.

13. Minnesota

Record: 13-14, 4-14 | Last week: 12

The Gophers put a scare into Indiana Sunday, when they rallied from down as many as 27 to within 3 points with seconds left. Instead, it was Minnesota’s 2nd loss in a row and 3rd in the last 4 games. The Golden Gophers have a solid first wave of players, like Payton Willis, EJ Stephens and Eric Curry, but unfortunately there’s virtually no depth, and so trying to put together 40 minutes this late in the season is nearly impossible. Minnesota is on the road its last 2 games — at Maryland and at Northwestern — hoping it can get itself back above .500 to be NIT eligible.

12. Penn State

Record: 12-14, 7-11 | Last week: 11

For the first time all season, Penn State was favored to win a Big Ten game by double-digits when Nebraska came to Happy Valley for senior day Sunday. And the Nittany Lions played their worst game of the season, getting nuked by 23. Micah Shrewsberry wore it afterward, accepting the blame for Penn State’s lackluster performance. It’s hard to explain. PSU had plenty to play for, with it being senior day and with a chance to get back to .500 overall.

11. Northwestern

Record: 13-15, 6-13 | Last week: 13

Battling a team-wide flu bug, per coach Chris Collins, the Wildcats looked ill in the first half of their game at Iowa on Sunday night, missing 14 of their first 17 shots in falling behind. Hawkeyes star Keegan Murray nearly outscored NU in the first half, hitting for 13 points himself as compared to 17 for the ‘Cats. Like Minnesota and Penn State, it now seems unlikely that Northwestern will be able to get to .500 and take a bid to the NIT.

10. Maryland

Record: 14-15, 6-12 | Last week: 10

The old Terrapins helped the current ones on Sunday. Inspired by the 20th-anniversary NCAA Championship team, many of whom were in attendance, Maryland thumped then No. 22 Ohio State. It was a display of what many thought the Terrapins would be before the season began, rather than the mess they turned into. Fatts Russell and Eric Ayala combined to score 50, as they kept the Buckeyes on their heels. Maryland, which has won 3 of its last 4, seems the sort of team that could affect the Big Ten Tournament.

9. Michigan

Record: 15-12, 9-8 | Last week: 8

History suggests Michigan needs to finish 4 games above .500 to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. At 15-12 overall, the Wolverines are close to that mark — traditionally, it’s been a threshold for the NCAA Committee — but have a brutal slate this week, with home games vs. Michigan State (tonight) and Iowa (Thursday), then a date at Ohio State (Sunday). Does UM need to win 2 of the 3, then at least 1 game in the Big Ten Tournament? Maybe so.

8. Indiana

Record: 18-10, 9-9 | Last week: 9

It’s not so much that Indiana won its last game, but it’s that it didn’t lose. The Hoosiers could ill afford what would have been an ugly loss at Minnesota, so they played solid basketball for about 33 minutes before allowing the Gophers to storm back. But IU held on, thanks in large part to the play of Xavier Johnson. When the point guard is good, it changes the Hoosiers, giving them a perimeter presence to go with the inside tandem of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson. Is IU in the Dance now? It’d probably like at least a split in the final 2 games, vs. Rutgers and at Purdue.

7. Rutgers

Record: 16-12, 10-8 | Last week: 5

Rutgers’ 4-game winning streak seems so long ago now, as the Scarlet Knights have since lost 3 in a row. The skid, albeit against quality opponents in Purdue, Michigan and Wisconsin, likely puts Rutgers back on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament. But there’s still time, with a road trip at Indiana before senior day back home vs. Penn State. The Scarlet Knights probably need to win both. RU could use a big week from Paul Mulcahy, who was the catalyst during the winning streak.

6. Michigan State

Record: 19-9, 10-7 | Last week: 7

Floundering in February with a 3-game losing streak, the Spartans needed a big W to right the ship, and they got one vs. Purdue on Saturday. It was a great game plan by Tom Izzo, giving the Boilermaker bigs opportunities on the inside but closing off Purdue’s 3-point shooters. The result was a stifling defensive effort that allowed Purdue only 1 triple and forced the visitors into 17 turnovers. It likely puts MSU back on the path to the NCAA Tournament.

5. Ohio State

Record: 18-8, 11-6| Last week: 4

After a victory at Illinois last week, Ohio State was looking at a backdoor entry for a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. But that’s highly unlikely now, after the Buckeyes suffered a gigantic thud at Maryland, losing by 15 Sunday. Chris Holtmann was highly critical of his team’s preparedness after the loss, especially coming off such a big win. OSU might be dealing with more injury trouble too, after Zed Key suffered an ankle injury vs. Maryland. That could thin an already thin front line.

4. Iowa

Record: 21-8, 11-7 | Last week: 6

Iowa is the hottest team in the Big Ten, having won 7 of its last 8 games and 4 in a row. The last was a dominating performance on the Hawkeyes’ senior day, when they honored — finally — 6th-year senior Jordan Bohannon, who scored 18 points in his final game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Few want to play Iowa right now. The Hawkeyes are great offensively, led by Keegan Murray, Bohannon and others, and their defense is playing just well enough. Will the heat hold up on the road? Iowa has games away from Iowa to finish out the week, at Michigan and Illinois.

3. Illinois

Record: 20-8, 13-5 | Last week: 3

Coach Brad Underwood challenged Kofi Cockburn to impose his will on the opponent, after some games in which he was less influential because of his own struggles or — more likely — foul trouble. Or both. But against Michigan Sunday, Cockburn was outstanding, scoring 27 and grabbing 7 rebounds. When he has that kind of presence in the paint, the Fighting Illini are operating at their full strength and are hard, if not darn near impossible, to stop. To get a share of a Big Ten title, Illinois is going to need some help this week, either from Purdue (more likely) or from Nebraska (less likely) in handing Wisconsin another loss.

2. Purdue

Record: 24-5, 13-5 | Last week: 1

Purdue had an opportunity to run the table to win the Big Ten title outright, but Michigan State proved a roadblock on Saturday, knocking the Boilermakers off the tracks. Turnovers, as they have been at times during the season, were a problem vs. the Spartans, as Purdue committed 17, many of which led to easy scoring opportunities. If Purdue doesn’t beat Wisconsin tonight and get itself back in position for a share of the title, what will be to make of this season for the Boilermakers? Would the regular season be a disappointment?

1. Wisconsin

Record: 23-5, 14-4 | Last week: 2

If Wisconsin knocks off Purdue in the Kohl Center, like it did earlier in the season at Mackey Arena, then can handle Nebraska, as expected, the Badgers will win the Big Ten outright. Who would have thought that before the season? Not many, considering Wisconsin was predicted as the league’s 10th-place finisher. But Johnny Davis and Brad Davison have been fantastic, and freshman Chucky Hepburn has added a 3rd scorer capable of hitting huge shots. They give Wisconsin the best backcourt in the Big Ten and a chance for a title.