Big Ten men’s basketball power rankings for Tuesday, February 17

Michigan kept control of the Big Ten for another week and moved to No. 1 in the new AP standings. Wisconsin also rose in the Big Ten standings after a dominant 21-point win over Michigan State. The Big Ten will have multiple contenders making their case for the NCAA Tournament as March approaches.

Here are my Big Ten men’s basketball power rankings after the past week of Big Ten Conference play:

Michigan is now the #1-ranked team in the country, and it is deserving of it. For another week, this team continues to show they are the most complete team in basketball. They are battle-tested, they know how to win, and they have very impressive wins on their resume. Michigan should be an early favorite to win it all.

2. Illinois Fighting Illini, 21-5

Illinois still is the biggest threat to the Wolverines. When the Big Ten tournament gets underway, I think Michigan and Illinois will be the last two teams standing. Keaton Wagler will be a top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and on any given night, he is good for a superstar performance.

3. Purdue Boilermakers, 21-4

After a 3-game losing streak, the Boilermakers are back on the right track and are now on a 4-game winning streak. With two wins against Nebraska and Iowa, proving they are a contender and a potential sleeper for both the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.

Nebraska still has the makings of a team that can make noise in the tournament, but losing to Illinois, Michigan, and then Purdue does not bode well for their contender status. This team will have to get a signature win to ensure hope that this team still should be up there with the top teams in the conference.

5. Wisconsin Badgers, 18-7

The Badgers have been on a tear recently, and they have looked just as good as Michigan. The Badgers are right now a prime candidate to be a dark horse sleeper, but they have to stay consistent. Both Nick Boyd and John Blackwell can score with the best of them, and this team is just as talented as any. They now have wins against both Michigan teams and have a quite manageable schedule to improve their seeding in the tournament. This is a very dangerous basketball team heading into March.

Wisconsin beat the Spartans handily, and it is not a loss that can be just shaken off. The Spartans have now lost 3 games out of their last 4 games. Michigan State is another team that has work to do to regain trust that they are the same team they were prior to this recent skid. It all starts with players like Jeremy Fears Jr.

The Hawkeyes are coming off two straight losses recently, and more doubt than hope is being placed on this team as tournament season is approaching. The Hawkeyes will need to get a big statement win in their next stretch of games, but matchups against Nebraska and Wisconsin will make it very tough.

Lamar Wilkerson has led the Hoosiers to winning 5 of their last 7 games. They have wins vs the hot Wisconsin and the Purdue Boilermakers, proving they are a team that can not be taken lightly. Coming off a 20-point loss to Illinois sets them back a little, but that should not diminish their hope heading into a matchup with Purdue. Another win vs the Boilermakers will put this team right back on the map.

9. UCLA Bruins, 17-8

The Bruins are one of the best offenses in the country, and they have scored at least 70 points in the past few games prior to their beatdown vs Michigan. Tyler Bilodeau leads the charge of this high-scoring offense; he remains a big reason why the Bruins have a shot at contention. The Bruins have a tough schedule ahead of them to finish the season, and that high-powered offense will have to come through for them.

10. Ohio State Buckeyes, 16-9

The Buckeyes are coming off a hard-fought loss to the Cavaliers and are still without John Mobley Jr., a big-time loss to this team’s offense. Bruce Thornton and the company will have to step up big time to ensure this team gets into the tournament.

11. USC Trojans, 18-7

Alijah Arenas looked like a star once again, but this team needs more production from its supporting cast. This team still has a chance at the tournament, but the margin of error is growing thin. USC needs every win it can get, and its next game is as tough as it gets vs the Fighting Illini.

The Huskies are back in their groove after a win over the struggling Minnesota Golden Gophers. Hannes Steinbach was dominant, and the Huskies looked like the team that was expected to show up this season, finally.

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 10-15

Rutgers appears to be one of the top lesser teams in the Big Ten, and it is due in part to their star Tariq Francis. Francis propelled the Scarlet Knights to victory over the Terrapins with his 21-point performance. With 4 light games next up, he could help get this team closer to 500.

14. Oregon Ducks, 9-16

All it took was the Ducks to finally get healthier. Who would have thought? Nate Bittle and Takai Simpkins both shined in the last game. The closest the Ducks have been to a healthy squad since early January, and with a matchup vs Minnesota next, another win could be in store for this team that desperately needs it.

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers, 11-14

An upset over the #10-ranked Michigan State Spartans did not provide much spark for the rest of this season for the Gophers, as they have reverted to their losing ways. Minnesota has Oregon and Rutgers on its schedule next before playing contending teams; it does not appear this team will scratch any wins of any time soon.

16. Maryland Terrapins, 10-15

It looked like the Terrapins were building some type of momentum with wins over Minnesota and Iowa, but then all of that went down the drain with their humbling loss to Rutgers. If this team is not able to find a win in the next two games, you can already throw in the towel on this season.

17. Northwestern Wildcats, 10-16

Wins against Penn State and USC are the only things that have saved this season from being a complete disaster. The Wildcats’ defense has been their biggest Achilles heel this season, as their opponents always seem to have zero issues scoring at will against them. Nick Martinelli and the Wildcats offense can score themselves, but they can not outscore anybody in the Big Ten. Maybe just Penn State.

18. Penn State Nittany Lions, 11-15

Penn State has two wins in conference this season, but more often than not, when they play Big Ten competition, they get outmatched and outclassed. Even with the teams that are at the bottom of the standings, they always look like the worst team.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten men’s basketball power rankings for February 17

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