The college basketball season is heating up in the Big Ten where Michigan and Indiana are trending in the right direction early on.
The start of non-conference play can be one of the most exciting times in the world of college basketball, as an upset is always just a heartbeat away. With rankings changing almost every hour, I saw a lot of things I liked this week from the conference as a whole. It will be a battle in just about every game, every week, once we see the start of Big Ten play.
A lot of teams suffered this week because they didn’t play as tough of competition as others. This isn’t to discredit them in any way, but it is more to say that I haven’t seen how they’ll look against a certain caliber of opponent. KenPom Rankings, alongside big early-season wins against tough teams, played a lot into a few teams rising in my rankings this week.
A lot of top-tier tournaments are on-going now, and a lot of marquee match-ups are still to come. It’s going to be a fun ride this season for the Big Ten Conference.
Let’s begin.
1. Michigan
- Last Week’s Ranking – 2 (Up One)
- KenPom Ranking – 7
You don’t just come out and destroy a team like Villanova, then ranked eighth in the nation, without a major boost in status for your team. If you’re Michigan, you put a beat-down on Nova, and danced through teams like George Washington and Providence, not missing a beat. Things are coming together once again for National Runners-Up from last year. They are playing as well as any team in the nation this year and led in scoring by Charles Matthews and Ignas Brazdeikis, the Wolverines may also just be the best defensive team in the nation.
2. Michigan State
- Last Week’s Ranking – 1 (Down One)
- KenPom Ranking – 12
After narrowly missing out on a chance to upset the No. 2 team in the nation in Kansas to start the year, losing by a score of 92-87, the Spartans haven’t missed another step in non-conference play. They’ve walked over the likes of Louisiana-Monroe and Florida Gulf Coast, but their second challenge of the year is waiting for them on Thursday in the form of No. 17 UCLA. After missing a great opportunity against the Jayhawks, the Spartans will be looking to put on a show on Thanksgiving.
3. Wisconsin
- Last Week’s Ranking – 5 (Up Two)
- KenPom Ranking – 14
Ethan Happ is looking like a National Player of the Year, and he could see his position in that race continue to elevate. He’s averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. It’s been a great showing for Happ, but perhaps the biggest energizer for the team is the healthy return of D’Mitrik Trice. Trice’s injury hurt the Badgers in a big way last year, but he has come back with a bang thus far this season. After acquiring a solid win over Xavier, Wisconsin looks like a legit contender in the Big Ten.
4. Indiana
- Last Week’s Ranking – 4 (No Change)
- KenPom Ranking – 20
The Hoosiers, led by five-star freshman Romeo Langford, jumped up one spot in my rankings from last week because of their 4-1 start. Despite dropping a tough game on the road to a solid Arkansas team, the Hoosiers topped No. 24 Marquette, continuing to boost their resume. The second year of the Archie Miller Era at Indiana is off to a good start, and if they can beat their recent injury struggles, they’ll be a great team to watch going forward. Langford is a stud.
5. Purdue
- Last Week’s Ranking – 6 (Down One)
- KenPom Ranking – 13
Alongside Ethan Happ, Carsen Edwards is solidifying his ranking as one of the top players in the NCAA so far this year. During the Boilermakers’ 4-1 start, Edwards is averaging 26.6 points, 4 assists and three rebounds. He’s also shooting nearly 42 percent from behind the arc. Purdue has solid wins on their record already, and only losing to No. 13 Virginia Tech.
6. Nebraska
- Last Week’s Ranking – 3 (Down Three)
- KenPom Ranking – 24
The Cornhuskers are off to an undefeated start, going 4-0 in nonconference so far with a good win over Seton Hall as a part of the annual Gavitt Games, which saw the Big Ten dominate the challenge. Miles’ team continues to put up solid performances, fueled by players like James Palmer and Isaac Copeland. Last year, Nebraska narrowly missed the NCAA tournament, and they continued to solidify their record after a win in the Hall of Fame Classic against Missouri State. They’ll face Texas Tech tonight.
7. Iowa
- Last Week’s Ranking – 9 (Up Two)
- KenPom Ranking – 33
The Hawkeyes already have wins over Connecticut and Oregon on their record to start the season. Iowa starts its climb up the rankings, jumping up two spots from last week. They’re 4-0 on the year so far but will have a tough stretch of games coming up including games against Wisconsin, Michigan State, and a talented Iowa State team in their next five games.
8. Ohio State
- Last Week’s Ranking – 11 (Up Three)
- KenPom Ranking – 30
There couldn’t have been a team in the Big Ten, or maybe the NCAA, with more questions to be asked coming into this season. That being said, Ohio State has impressed thus far this season, making up for the loss of Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate with the play of Senior guard C.J. Jackson. Chris Holtmann’s team (5-0) has impressed thus far and jumps up three spots in my rankings. If they can continue to improve and impress, Ohio State could find themselves climbing quickly up the rankings.
9. Maryland
- Last Week’s Ranking – 8 (Down One)
- KenPom Ranking – 36
Maryland hasn’t been tested much this year (yet) in non-conference play, but the Terrapins team has looked like a team ready to rebound from a tough season last year. Last year could have gone better for Mark Turgeon’s team, who performed admirably despite a tough schedule and a few tough losses. They’ve handled Delaware, Navy and NC A&T, and a few other small schools in admirable fashion. They’ve had standout performances from junior guard Anthony Cowan Jr. and the rising performances of Bruno Fernandes and Jalen Smith in the paint. The Terrapins open up Big Ten play against Penn State on Dec. 1, in a game that will tell us a lot about the way this team is headed.
10. Minnesota
- Last Week’s Ranking – 7 (Down Three)
- KenPom Ranking – 47
Minnesota (3-0) already has quality wins over Power-Six conference opponents Texas A&M and Utah, but the performance of Isaiah Washington has been disappointing thus far. However, it has been made up for by quality performances from guards Dupree McBrayer and Gabe Kalscheur. Amir Coffey is averaging nearly 15 points per game for the Golden Gophers, and if Washington can rise to the occasion, Minnesota could like their depth going into the more tough section of the non-conference schedule.
11. Illinois
- Last Week’s Ranking – 12 (Up One)
- KenPom Ranking – 82
Illinois is one and three on the season but has put together solid showings against a talented, young Georgetown team, and against the No. 3 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. Though they lost in tough fashion after a terrible half at Iowa State, the team has a lot of potential and if they find the right combination, they could be a surprisingly good team going forward. Freshman center Giorgi Bezhanishvili has been head and shoulders above anything most Illini fans were expecting this year, and the resurgence of Adonis De La Rosa could see Brad Underwood’s Illini team turn in the right direction.
12. Penn State
- Last Week’s Ranking – 10 (Down Two)
- KenPom Ranking – 35
The Nittany Lions (2-1) aren’t boasting one of the best Big Ten rosters this year, but they still have some studs on the team. Junior forward Lamar Stephens is perhaps the best of them. After the starting five on this roster, the production level drops off quite a bit. Josh Reaves, Myles Dread and Rasir Bolton have been solid, but Penn State needs to find someone to contribute off the bench in order to be successful down the road.
13. Northwestern
- Last Week’s Ranking – 13 (No Change)
- KenPom Ranking – 48
The Wildcats (3-0) are off to a great start but have yet to be really tested in non-conference play. Head Coach Chris Collins’ team lost a lot in the offseason with the departure of Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey, but they’ve been boosted by solid play from seniors Vic Law and Ryan Taylor. Transfer A.J. Turner has been solid as well. They’ll look to climb up the rankings with their first true tests in the coming week.
14. Rutgers
- Last Week’s Ranking – 14 (No Change)
- KenPom Ranking – 116
The Scarlet Knights are off to a 3-1 start. Many expected Geo Baker to lead the Scarlet Knights this season, but that hasn’t been the case just yet. Through four games, Steve Pikiell’s team has been led by junior Euguene Omoruyi, who has really improved his play so far. Issa Thiam has also stepped up. Rutgers still doesn’t look like the most solid team all-together, but they’ve got some fun players to watch down the stretch.