The 2024-25 Big Ten regular season has concluded. Michigan State (26-5, 17-3 Big Ten) is your conference champion, finishing a full three games better than second-place Michigan and Maryland.
This date follows the official unveiling of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament bracket. The tournament, set to start on Wednesday afternoon, saw significant drama in the race for the final five seeds. Three teams missed the field — Washington (4-16), Penn State (6-14) and Nebraska (7-13). The Cornhuskers did so in alarming fashion. The team was 17-9 (7-8 Big Ten) after a win over Northwestern on Feb. 16, in strong position to also make the NCAA Tournament. Five consecutive losses later, including to Iowa on Sunday, and the team’s season is over before the conference tournament even begins.
Otherwise, the end-of-year Big Ten race brought little surprises. Michigan State elevated from the rest of the pack with big-time wins over Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin and Michigan — the four top contenders. The rest of the bracket accurately reflects each team’s performance during the regular season. The only exception is Wisconsin, which dropped from a top-four seed and a double-bye with an inexplicable home loss to Penn State on Saturday. According to KenPom and other rating metrics, the Badgers are still right there with the best in the conference.
Looking forward, the 2025 NCAA Tournament field will be set in one week. Our power rankings are now shifting to reflect that reality. Instead of handicapping the Big Ten race, they now project which teams are in best position to make a postseason run.
With that, here are our updated Big Ten power rankings entering the conference tournament:
18. Washington Huskies (13-18, 4-16 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: USC (L), Oregon (L)
Previous Rank: No. 18 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: N/A (missed field)
Analysis: Washington’s record doesn’t need extra context or explanation. The team finished alone in last place in the conference, several games clear of the next-closest team. It was a disappointing debut season for Danny Sprinkle. While Washington will likely continue to struggle in the tough conference landscape, a 13-18 overall record, four conference wins and six-game losing streak to close the year is a poor result.
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17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-14, 7-13 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Ohio State (L), Iowa (L)
Previous Rank: No. 12 (Down 5)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: N/A (missed field)
Analysis: Nebraska was an NCAA Tournament team just three-plus weeks ago. Five straight losses, plus six in seven games, tumbled the team out of postseason contention. Nebraska collapsed in every sense of the word, capped off by a 15-point home loss to Iowa on Sunday.
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16. Penn State Nittany Lions (16-15, 6-14 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 12 Wisconsin (W)
Previous Rank: No. 17 (Up 1)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: N/A (missed field)
Analysis: Penn State was the clear second-worst team in the conference all season. However, its road win over Wisconsin on Saturday leads to a slight jump. The result builds positive momentum for the team entering the offseason and the 2025-26 campaign. While Nebraska was better, its trajectory deserves a drop below the Nittany Lions.
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15. Northwestern Wildcats (16-15, 7-13 Big Ten)
Week 17 Results: UCLA (L), No. 13 Maryland (L)
Previous Rank: No. 14 (Down 1)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 13
Analysis: Northwestern deserves credit for making the conference tournament despite playing without star guard Brooks Barnhizer for an extended time. The team defeated Ohio State, Minnesota and Iowa consecutively to clinch that spot. However, the Wildcats should have the lowest odds to win the tournament. The team doesn’t have enough offensive firepower to keep up with any of the conference’s best.
14. USC Trojans (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Washington (W), UCLA (L)
Previous Rank: No. 15 (Up 1)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 14
Analysis: USC finished its regular season with a 31-point win over Washington and a 27-point loss to UCLA. The team is just 2-8 over its last 10 games. While it was one of the three teams to beat Michigan State during the regular season, it’s hard to expect a repeat performance during the conference tournament.
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13. Iowa Hawkeyes (16-15, 7-13 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 8 Michigan State (L), Nebraska (W)
Previous Rank: No. 16 (Up 3)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 15
Analysis: It’s hard to expect any of these bottom-tier teams to make a run in the conference tournament. Iowa may have the best chance, with KenPom’s No. 23-ranked offense. At the least, the Hawkeyes can put it all together for one or two games. The team may need a deeper run than just a win or two to stop conversations about a change at head coach.
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12. Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 12 Wisconsin (L), Rutgers (L)
Previous Rank: No. 13 (Up 1)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 12
Analysis: Minnesota held its spot in the rankings thanks to others taking significant drops — specifically Nebraska. The Golden Gophers played strong basketball from mid-January on, finishing 7-7 in conference play, with wins over Michigan, Iowa, Oregon, Penn State, USC, UCLA and Nebraska. Ben Johnson’s team should be good enough to win a game during the conference tournament.
11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (15-16, 8-12 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 18 Purdue (L), Minnesota (W)
Previous Rank: No. 11 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 11
Analysis: Rutgers has by far the best chance of those seeded No. 11 to No. 15 to make a run. That’s due to standout freshmen Dylan Harper (19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists per game) and Ace Bailey (17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds per game). The two future top picks in the NBA draft can take over any game. With the Scarlet Knights set to miss the NCAA Tournament, this could be their last shot at a big-time showcase.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (17-14, 9-11 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Nebraska (W), Indiana (L)
Previous Rank: No. 10 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 10
Analysis: Ohio State is squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The team likely needs a few wins in the conference tournament to clinch a spot. It is still KenPom’s No. 34-ranked team, just behind Oregon and Michigan. Those metrics have been high on the Buckeyes all season and could foreshadow some March success.
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9. Indiana Hoosiers (19-12, 10-10 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Oregon (L), Ohio State (W)
Previous Rank: No. 9 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 9
Analysis: Indiana is now 5-3 since coach Mike Woodson announced he would be stepping down at the end of the season. That includes wins over Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State, confirming Indiana’s place in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers could be a sneaky pick to make a run in March.
8. Michigan Wolverines (22-9, 14-6 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 13 Maryland (L), No. 8 Michigan State (L)
Previous Rank: No. 2 (Down 6)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 3
Analysis: Michigan’s magical run appears to have concluded. The team lost three straight to close the year, each in somewhat decisive fashion. Despite the 14-6 record, the Wolverines finished conference play with a -10 point differential. They had undeniable late-game magic through much of the season. Finally, that unsustainable mark appears to have found its level.
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7. Oregon Ducks (23-8, 12-8 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Indiana (W), Washington (W)
Previous Rank: No. 7 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 8
Analysis: Look out for Oregon in tournament play. The Ducks have won seven straight, including over Wisconsin and Indiana. They have a tough road in the conference tournament, starting against Indiana before a potential matchup against Michigan State. Still, the team is trending positively entering March Madness. It could make a second-weekend run.
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6. Purdue Boilermakers (21-10, 13-7 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Rutgers (W), Illinois (L)
Previous Rank: No. 5 (Down 1)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 6
Analysis: Purdue lost its shot at a double-bye with a road loss to a suddenly-healthy Illinois team. Matt Painter’s team has the elite guard play (Braden Smith) to make a run. The question is its defense, which has struggled in big games throughout the season.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini (20-11, 12-8 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 18 Purdue (W)
Previous Rank: No. 6 (Up 1)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 7
Analysis: Illinois will be one of the most trendy sleeper picks in the NCAA Tournament. It won its last three to close the regular season, including over Michigan and Purdue. The team is finally getting healthy after weeks of illness and injury issues. It’s still waiting for forward Morez Johnson Jr. (out since Feb. 15) to return. Once he does, the Fighting Illini line up as well as any team in the conference.
4. UCLA Bruins (22-9, 13-7 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Northwestern (W), USC (W)
Previous Rank: No. 8 (Up 4)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 4
Analysis: UCLA jumped into the final double-bye position thanks to Purdue and Wisconsin each closing their regular seasons with big losses. The team is ranked No. 25 in KenPom entering postseason play, bolstered by the nation’s No. 15-ranked defense. If the offense clicks, UCLA could beat anybody.
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3. Wisconsin Badgers (23-8, 13-7 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Minnesota (W), Penn State (L)
Previous Rank: No. 3 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 5
Analysis: Admittedly, this is a bit of a speculative position. Wisconsin is just 2-3 in its last five, including a bad loss to Penn State on Saturday. Still, Greg Gard’s team is No. 12 in KenPom and projected as one of the best teams in the sport. Its poor stretch came without veteran Max Klesmit in the lineup. His return should help the team return to its top form.
2. Maryland Terrapins (24-7, 14-6 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: No. 17 Michigan (W), Northwestern (W)
Previous Rank: No. 4 (Up 2)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 2
Analysis: Michigan’s fall opens the No. 2 spot for Maryland, which was easily the conference’s second-best team this season. It is a half-court buzzer-beater loss to Michigan State away from closing the year on an eight-game win streak. Rating metrics agree — Maryland is a threat to go on a run in March.
1. Michigan State Spartans (26-5, 17-3 Big Ten)
Week 18 Results: Iowa (W), No. 17 Michigan (W)
Previous Rank: No. 1 (No change)
Big Ten Tournament Seed: No. 1
Analysis: Michigan State won the conference regular-season race decisively. It has as good a chance as any to both win the conference tournament and make a deep run in March Madness. However, the Spartans have relied on terrific late-game performances to close many of their wins. There are two ways to view that performance. First, that rate is challenging to sustain. That, or the team has what it takes to win narrow tournament matchups.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Big Ten basketball power rankings update conference tournament preview
