Welcome to another week of Big Ten basketball power rankings. This week, our rankings are made up of seven WIUX Sports personalities: Ethan Gaba, Tori Ziege (@ToriZiege), Matthew Dlugie (@mdlugie), Andrew Vailliencourt (@AndrewVcourt), Sam Rumpza (@samrumpza), Kevin Hyland (@Kev_Hyland), and Kevin Schaefer (@Kschaef77). This week will be our final power rankings of the semester due to finals next week, but check back in at the start of next semester for a fresh look at the rankings once conference play has started.
Team Name, First Place Votes, Record, Average, High/Low
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (5), (9-0), Average: 1.29, High/Low: 1/2
What They’re Saying: “Ohio State is the first of three B1G teams in the top five of the AP Poll. Though the Buckeyes took care of business this week, winning handily over Central Connecticut State and Bryant University, they have yet to face any real challenges this season. It’s a toss up between them and #4 Wisconsin for the top spot in the conference. Ohio State’s smallest margin of victory this season is nine points.” –Tori Ziege
2. Wisconsin Badgers (2), (11-0), Average: 1.71, High/Low: 1/2
What They’re Saying: “With all 5 starters scoring in double digits, it's no wonder why the Badgers are having their best start in the Bo Ryan era.”- Kevin Hyland
“Wisconsin sits atop my rankings for the second straight week. They have looked unstoppable as of late, and knocked off another good team this past week in Marquette. They have played a tougher schedule than Ohio State, which puts them above the Buckeyes. Sam Dekker is going to be a player to watch this year, as he has been outstanding, along with Frank Kaminsky.” –Andrew Vailliencourt
3. Michigan State Spartans, (7-1), Average: 3,14, High/Low: 3/4
What They’re Saying: “Sparty comes in at third in our rankings and Tom Izzo’s squad is ranked fifth in the country. Shows you what you need to know about the top of the Big Ten. MSU needs to show more consistency, because talent wise, they’re the top team in the conference. The Spartans face the last two IU opponents, Oakland and North Florida in their next two games- easy wins- before traveling to Austin to face the Longhorns.” –Sam Rumpza
4. Iowa Hawkeyes, (10-1), Average: 3.86, High/Low: 3/4
What They’re Saying: “Smooth sailing for the Hawkeyes last week, but watch out. Tonight they face No. 17 Iowa State, who took down fellow B1G conference member Michigan earlier this season. A win in this in-state rivalry game could be just what No. 23 Iowa needs to shoot up even further in the AP Poll.” –Tori Ziege
5. Michigan Wolverines, (6-3), Average: 5.43, High/Low: 5/6
What They’re Saying: “After three early losses, the Wolverines have a big opportunity to bounce back this Saturday when they host top ranked Arizona at the Crisler Center. That being said, the Wildcats front line, led by freshmen standouts Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be a tall task for Michigan.” –Kevin Hyland
6. Indiana Hoosiers, (8-2), Average: 5.57, High/Low: 5/6
What They’re Saying: “Last week’s action for the Hoosiers featured two stellar performances by fifth year senior Evan Gordon, who lead the team in scoring with 15 points and a season high 26 points, respectively. Indiana made it look easy against North Florida and Oakland, and have a big opportunity to shine against a major conference opponent, Notre Dame, in the Crossroads Classic this Saturday. They will need help from a slumping Will Sheehey if they want to pull out the win.” –Tori Ziege
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers, (9-2), Average: 7.57, High/Low: 7/9
What They’re Saying: “Nothing new with the Golden Gophers except for the fact that winter has started up in Minnesota. Anyone been to the Land of 10,000 Lakes during January? Brutal.”- Matthew Dlugie
8. Illinois Fighting Illini, (9-1), Average: 8.5, High/Low: 7/9
What They’re Saying: “Illinois is quietly putting together a nice start to their season. Their only loss came on the road at Georgia Tech by three. They don't have any wins that stand out, their best one being against Auburn, but will have two big chances to prove themselves this week when they play at No. 15 Oregon and at home against No. 24 Missouri.” –Andrew Vailliencourt
9. Purdue Boilermakers, (8-2), Average: 8.86, High/Low: 8/10
What They’re Saying: “Facing Butler in the Crossroads Classic should be a fun test. A game they should win for sure. If not, they drop dramatically in the rankings. No pressure, Boilermakers.” –Matthew Dlugie
10. Penn State Nittany Lions, (8-3), Average: 10.43, High/Low: 10/11
What They’re Saying: “Penn State was riding a two game losing streak coming into this week, but rebounded with two wins against small mid-majors. All Nittany Lion fans should be happy watching Tim Frazier, their star, play like one. He’s averaging 18.6 points per game and 7.2 assists to start the season. But D.J. Newbill is leading the team in scoring, with 19.1 points per game. With two winnable games remaining on the schedule, before they open up Big Ten play with Michigan State on Dec. 31st. Look for the Lions to be playing with some confidence during the start of Big Ten play. If confidence translates to winning, expect Penn State in the single digits by 2014. Just don’t be confident about all of this happening.” –Ethan Gaba
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers, (6-3), Average: 10.57, High/Low: 8/12
What They’re Saying: “I love Tim Miles’ energy, and against a solid Creighton team, Nebrasketball showed great fight in the second half after being doubled up in the first half. Energy and fight. Sounds a bit like the first couple years of the Crean era, doesn’t it? Still not a ton of talent in Lincoln.” –Sam Rumpza
12. Northwestern Wildcats, (5-5), Average: 11.86, High/Low: 11/12
What They’re Saying: “Northwestern may be losing, but they have already played three other major conferences (Stanford/Pac-12, Missouri/SEC, UCLA/Pac12, NCST/ACC) along with a loss to Illinois State, who just beat No. 25 Dayton. Northwestern’s out of conference schedule has been tough, but it would be nice to see one major upset mixed in there, but with five losses, Northwestern gets the bottom spot.” –Ethan Gaba
