Big Ten standings after red-hot Michigan upsets Purdue
It’s safe to say, Michigan hoops is back. The Wolverines stunned No. 7 Purdue at home on Tuesday night in arguably the biggest win of the season for the Wolverines. While Braden Smith made it interesting for Purdue, splashing consecutive late 3-point shots to keep it close, the Wolverines held on for the win.
And with it, grabbed a stronger hold of the regular season Big Ten conference title. Their schedule favors them to finish strong and potentially crack into the top 10 and possibly higher. With three ranked conference games remaining — against Michigan State twice and Maryland — the Wolverines could very well enter the Big Ten conference tournament as one of the hottest teams.
Here’s a look at the new standings after last night's upsets, which also included Indiana denying Tom Izzo of his 354th win, to surpass Bobby Knight as the winningest coach in the Big Ten.
Big Ten basketball: Michigan jumps up in standings, Michigan State falls in updated standings after Tuesday night
TEAM | CONFERENCE RECORD | OVERALL RECORD | GAMES BACK |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 20 Michigan Wolverines | 11-2 | 19-5 | -- |
No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers | 11-3 | 19-6 | 0.5 |
No. 11 Michigan State Spartans | 10-3 | 19-5 | 1 |
No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers | 9-4 | 19-5 | 2 |
UCLA Bruins | 9-5 | 18-7 | 2.5 |
No. 25 Maryland Terrapins | 8-5 | 18-6 | 3 |
Illinois Fighting Illini | 9-6 | 17-8 | 3 |
USC Trojans | 6-7 | 14-10 | 5 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers | 6-7 | 16-8 | 5 |
Ohio State Buckeyes | 6-7 | 14-10 | 5 |
Oregon Ducks | 6-8 | 17-8 | 5.5 |
Indiana Hoosiers | 6-8 | 15-10 | 5.5 |
Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 5-8 | 12-12 | 6 |
Iowa Hawkeyes | 4-8 | 13-10 | 6.5 |
Minnesota Golden Gophers | 4-9 | 12-12 | 7 |
Northwestern Wildcats | 4-10 | 13-12 | 7.5 |
Washington Huskies | 3-9 | 12-11 | 7.5 |
Penn State Nittany Lions | 3-11 | 13-12 | 8.5 |
With the win, Michigan moves up to No. 1 in the Big Ten. They also had help thanks to Indiana stunning Michigan State in East Lansing. The Wolverines now are half a game ahead of Purdue and a full game ahead of Michigan State.
The Wolverines only conference losses this season are to Minnesota and Purdue. At 11-2 in conference play, the Wolverines stand alone atop the conference. They still have to play Michigan State twice, which could have major implications on the standings down the road.
After the loss to Indiana, the Spartans are now in third place in conference play, behind Purdue. They’re a half-a-game behind the Boilermakers and play them on Feb. 18.
Despite both Purdue and Michigan State falling, the conference is still wide open. Depending on how things go between Michigan State’s games against Michigan and Purdue, Wisconsin could sneak into the top of the standings. They’re currently in fourth place, two games behind Michigan and a game behind Michigan State.
The Badgers play Purdue on Saturday and Michigan State on March 2. With wins over both, the Badgers could be right on Michigan’s coat tail.
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