B1G Basketball Power Rankings, Feb. 17: Michigan holds top spot ahead of massive stretch of games

The Big Ten conference has been turned on its head since early February.

Michigan has surged to the No. 1 spot in the nation, earning 60 of a possible 61 first-place votes in the latest AP Poll, while Nebraska and Illinois continue to jostle for position toward the top of the standings.

Meanwhile, a few middle-of-the-pack teams are making late-season charges to solidify their NCAA Tournament résumés.

With less than a month until Selection Sunday, here’s how we have all 18 B1G men’s hoops squads stacking up against one another:

18. Northwestern (10-16 overall, 2-13 in Big Ten)

The Northwestern Wildcats have lost 5 in a row. A 40-point blowout loss to Illinois earlier this month seems to have broken their spirit. They currently sit at the bottom of the power rankings due to a lack of any recent momentum.

17. Penn State (11-15, 2-13)

A loss to Oregon sends the Penn State Nittany Lions tumbling. They are tied for the fewest wins in the conference and look like a team that has run out of steam.

16. Oregon (9-16, 2-12)

The Ducks finally got back in the win column with a victory over Penn State. It’s been a disastrous second season in the Big Ten for Oregon, but at least the Ducks aren’t alone at the bottom anymore.

15. Minnesota (11-14, 4-10)

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have lost 2 in a row and are fading fast. Their offense struggled significantly in Seattle, and they are now looking at a bottom-4 seed in the conference tournament.

14. Maryland (10-15, 3-11)

Maryland’s win over Iowa was a highlight, but the Terps immediately followed it up with a double-digit loss to Rutgers. The Terrapins are struggling to find an identity and are currently tied for the second-worst record in the league.

13. Rutgers (10-15, 3-11)

A win over Maryland provides a much-needed spark for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It’s been a rough season in Piscataway, but the Jersey Mike’s magic showed up on Sunday to help them climb out of the absolute cellar.

12. Washington (13-13, 5-10)

The Washington Huskies move up a spot after taking care of business against Minnesota. At .500 overall, they are playing for pride and a better seed in Chicago, but the new era in Seattle is showing some signs of life.

11. USC (18-7, 7-7)

The USC Trojans are the definition of a .500 team in the Big Ten. They have the talent to beat anyone, but the consistency just isn’t there. They’ll need a strong showing in the final weeks to avoid a Wednesday start in the Big Ten Tournament.

10. Indiana (17-9, 8-7)

The “warpath” has hit a roadblock. After a promising start to the month, the Indiana Hoosiers were non-competitive in a 20-point loss to Illinois on Sunday. They are currently the last team in our rankings that have a winning record in conference play and are quickly sliding toward the March Madness bubble.

9. Iowa (18-7, 8-6)

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ 6-game winning streak feels like a distant memory after losses to Maryland and Purdue. Bennett Stirtz is still playing at an All-Big Ten level, but the defense disappeared at the wrong time. A Black Out game against Nebraska on Tuesday is now a must-win to stop the bleeding.

8. Ohio State (16-9, 8-6)

The Ohio State Buckeyes are moving up despite a weird nonconference loss to Virginia in Nashville. In league play, they’ve shown enough grit to stay in the top half of the standings. They are hovering right on the edge of the “safe” zone for the NCAA Tournament.

7. UCLA (17-8, 9-5)

UCLA suffered a humbling loss to No. 1 Michigan, proving there is still a gap between the Bruins and the league’s true elite. They are still safe in the tournament field, but the road doesn’t get any easier moving into the stretch run.

6. Michigan State (20-5, 10-4)

The Michigan State Spartans took a tough loss to Wisconsin, but they remain a lock for a high seed in the tournament. Their defense is still among the conference’s elite, but they need more consistent scoring from the perimeter if they want to leapfrog the teams ahead of them in the standings. Michigan State being at No. 6 in the Big Ten power rankings shows just how elite the teams at the top of the B1G truly are.

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5. Wisconsin (18-7, 10-4)

The Wisconsin Badgers are the Team of the Week, as decided by your humble columnist. After being unranked, they vaulted to No. 24 in the AP Poll by knocking off top-10 opponents Illinois and Michigan State in back-to-back games. That’s a heck of a week for the ol’ NCAA Tournament résumé. Never count out Greg Gard in February.

4. Nebraska (22-3, 11-3)

Nebraska took a slight dip after losing the throne, but the Cornhuskers remain a dangerous out. While they’ve gone 2-3 in their last 5 games — including a loss to Michigan — they still boast one of the most balanced lineups in the league. Pryce Sandfort is a walking bucket, leading the B1G in triples.

3. Purdue (21-4, 11-3)

Don’t look now, but the Purdue Boilermakers have won four in a row. They silenced a rowdy Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 21-point win over Iowa this past weekend. Braden Smith continues to orchestrate the offense at an elite level, and Purdue’s efficiency numbers are climbing back toward the top 10 nationally.

2. Illinois (21-5, 12-3)

The Illinois Fighting Illini bounced back from back-to-back OT losses to Michigan State and Wisconsin by dismantling Indiana 71-51. They sit comfortably in second place in the league, fueled by an offense that seems to find a new hero every night. Oh, and they got starting point guard Kylan Boswell back. What a difference that makes ahead of a California road trip this week. The late-season push for a top-2 seed in the Big Dance is very much alive.

1. Michigan (24-1, 14-1)

The Michigan Wolverines are officially the best team in the country, garnering 60 of 61 first-place votes (as noted in the intro). Dusty May has Michigan at No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time in 13 years. The Wolverines have won 10 straight, including a statement rout of UCLA. With a 14-1 conference record, the Big Ten title is theirs to lose.