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Week 6 B1G basketball power rankings: Undefeated Purdue stays at the top
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With the early portion of the Big Ten in the books, everyone gets a little bit of a breather for a few days.
The biggest surprises: Illinois has started the conference season with an 0-2 record. And Purdue is still undefeated through the first 10 games of the season. But there’s a lot more basketball to be played.
Let’s take a look at the Week 6 power rankings:
14. Minnesota
Record: 4-6 overall, 0-2 in the Big Ten | Last week: 14
Minnesota has talent and athleticism, albeit somewhat limited, but the problem right now is that its personnel is playing as individuals, not as a team. If that continues, it’s likely that the same results will follow. The Golden Gophers have been busted in their 2 conference games, losing by 19 at Purdue, then by 15 against Michigan in the Barn. Minnesota had 4 conference victories last season, Ben Johnson’s 1st in Minneapolis. Can the Gophers match that this season? Seems highly unlikely.
13. Michigan
Record: 6-3, 1-0 | Last week: 13
After back-to-back last-minute losses to Virginia and Kentucky, Michigan recovered to win its first Big Ten game this season at Minnesota. But 1 win, against the conference’s worst team, doesn’t completely erase underlying issues, and those could be compounded by the loss of point guard Jaelin Llewellyn, who tore his ACL vs. the Wildcats and is out for the season. It thrusts freshman Dug McDaniel into the starting lineup, where he was great for Game 1, finishing with 15 points and 7 assists against the Golden Gophers. Michigan doesn’t lack for offensive weapons; maybe McDaniel can be the one to get them in the right spots.
12. Nebraska
Record: 6-5, 0-2 | Last week: 10
Nebraska almost pickup its 2nd gigantic victory of the season Saturday, when it took Purdue to overtime in Lincoln, but the Cornhuskers couldn’t finish the job. Still, this Nebraska team is better than those Fred Hoiberg has coached in the past, because it defends much, much harder, with more tenacity and better fundamentals. It was better against Purdue big man Zach Edey than anyone has been all season, because it attacked him quickly with double-teams. If the Cornhuskers keep it up at the defensive end, they’ll be a tough out, especially at home.
11. Northwestern
Record: 7-2, 1-0 | Last week: 11
Northwestern is a guard-led team, but Sunday the Wildcats needed a big performance from forward Robbie Beran to hold off Prairie View A&M. Beran had career-highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds to help NU rally to a victory. If he can provide any sort of balance to the Wildcats’ offense in the Big Ten, it’ll make Northwestern all the more dangerous. So far this season, the Wildcats are playing smart, with a brand of basketball they can win with, having held 6 of 9 opponents to less than 60 points. They did that only 7 games all of last season.
10. Rutgers
Record: 6-4, 1-1 | Last week: 8
Seton Hall escaped a 2-hour rock fight Sunday, stunning favored Rutgers in Jersey Mike’s Arena by a score of 45-43. The outcome shows the vulnerability of the Scarlet Knights, who have an array of potential perimeter scorers, but perhaps not one they can count on game in and game out. Rutgers hit only 5-of-17 3-pointers and had only 9 makes from 2-point range. Of course, the Scarlet Knights have been stung by bad breaks of late, losing at Ohio State in a game the Buckeyes were clearly out of bounds — maybe twice — before hitting a last-second heave for the win. Then, vs. Seton Hall, a Pirate might have stepped on the end line while making a save in the game’s closing sequence.
9. Penn State
Record: 7-3, 1-1 | Last week: 12
Look, the formula is simple for Penn State: If it hits shots, it’s going to win. If it doesn’t, it’s going to lose. The Nittany Lions did the latter vs. Michigan State early last week, then the former at Illinois on Saturday, as they won in Champaign to end a road losing streak that had stretched back to February, 2020. Penn State hit 12-of-24 triples against the Fighting Illini, after coach Micah Shrewsberry decided to play small ball. His starting lineup’s tallest player was 6-foot-6 senior Seth Lundy. If PSU keeps at it, the lineup will put a lot of strain on opposing Big Ten teams.
8. Michigan State
Record: 7-4, 1-1 | Last week: 9
Now that it’s made it through the first 11 games of the season, Michigan State can reset a bit, with only 2 games in the next 20 days. That’ll give coach Tom Izzo time to incorporate Malik Hall back into the lineup. The forward, who has been out with a foot injury, is expected back for the Spartans around Christmas, which will put them back at full strength for the first time since the beginning of the year. That, combined with 4 straight games in Breslin Center between now and Jan. 7, makes it feel like Michigan State can start to build in a positive direction.
7. Iowa
Record: 7-3, 0-1 | Last week: 7
Iowa is 1-1 since star Kris Murray was sidelined with a foot injury, picking up a win vs. rival Iowa State before losing in overtime to Wisconsin at home. The Hawkeyes very nearly pulled off a stunning comeback against the Badgers, rallying from down 8 with less than a minute to go. Without Murray, the McCaffery brothers have picked up with scoring, combining for 41 points (with 17 rebounds) against Wisconsin. But let’s be real: Iowa’s ceiling is considerably lower without Murray, and Fran McCaffery hasn’t provided a timeline for an expected return.
6. Indiana
Record: 8-2, 1-1 | Last week: 4
The Hoosiers don’t have anywhere near the offensive firepower to give up 89 points and hope to be able to pull out a victory. They must defend. But IU couldn’t do so in its top-15 matchup with Arizona in Las Vegas on Saturday night, when the Wildcats shot nearly 50 percent from the floor plus made 10 3-pointers. IU must get back to slowing down the pace and locking down the opposition, because that remains its path to victories. And getting freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino (back injury) back as soon as possible would be good too, because he gives IU a needed extra perimeter scorer.
5. Ohio State
Record: 7-2, 1-0 | Last week: 6
Tanner Holden hit a gigantic shot against Rutgers Thursday night, stealing a win away from the Scarlet Knights in Columbus with a swish from 25 feet away. The problem is, the shot never should have counted, as most thought immediately after the game and the Big Ten confirmed a day later. Holden had gone out of bounds on his own, then was the first Buckeye to touch the ball after coming back onto the court, a violation. But OSU isn’t going to give the victory back. The controversy shouldn’t mask what OSU is doing well right now, including the performances of Zed Key of late — the big man had 22 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Rutgers.
4. Illinois
Record: 7-3, 0-2 | Last week: 3
Few coaches have been as mad after a game as Brad Underwood following Illinois’ home loss to Penn State. The veteran coach lamented his team’s lack of leadership after it couldn’t follow up its NYC victory over then-No. 2 Texas with another win against the Nittany Lions. And now the Fighting Illini find themselves in an 0-2 hole in the race for a Big Ten title. Is leadership the issue? Perhaps so. Working in 3 transfers and 4 freshmen with a few veteran holdovers isn’t an easy task.
3. Maryland
Record: 8-2, 1-1 | Last week: 2
After a week that saw Maryland score victories against Illinois and Wisconsin, the latter on the road in Madison, perhaps it’s not surprising that the Terrapins came out flat vs. then-No. 7 Tennessee. But 3-of-24 flat in the 1st half was more than Maryland could overcome, even though the Terps did stage a great comeback against the Volunteers that only fell short in the closing minute. But the loss to UT did expose issues: No. 1, Maryland must play bigger and more physical in its frontcourt, after getting nuked for 21 offensive rebounds by Tennessee.
2. Wisconsin
Record: 8-2, 2-0 | Last week: 5
Wisconsin might be the most resilient team in the Big Ten after responding in Iowa City to beat the Hawkeyes in overtime on Sunday night. The Badgers have run their winning streak to 3, with quality victories against Marquette, Maryland and Iowa. They certainly are used to being in close games; the last 7 contests (5-2 record) have all been decided by 5 points or less, a trend that bodes well for the Big Ten. It’s a credit to leadership, particularly from Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn, but from others as well. Wisconsin functions well as a team, perhaps making up for lack of star power.
1. Purdue
Record: 10-0, 2-0 | Last week: 1
Winning on the road isn’t easy, especially in the Big Ten, as Purdue found out on Saturday afternoon. The Boilermakers didn’t play particularly well at Nebraska — they shot less than 40 percent from the field and gave up 19 offensive rebounds — yet they found a way at the end of regulation and in overtime. A lot of that is a credit to freshman Fletcher Loyer, who plays nothing like a rookie. He had 22 points. The Boilermakers are likely to stay undefeated into January.
Kyle Charters, a familiar face at Gold & Black, covers Purdue, Indiana and college basketball for Saturday Tradition.