Big Ten Power Rankings: Michigan, Illinois, Purdue Top the Conference

---

1. Michigan (24-1)

With an 86-56 walloping of visiting UCLA Saturday afternoon, Dusty May’s squad secured its second double-digit win streak of the season. The Wolverines, who returned to the top spot in the AP Poll, play a remarkably balanced brand of hoops.

Boasting the No. 1 defense in the land while also ranking fourth in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, May has seen a unique top scorer in each of the last four victories. On Feb. 5 at Penn State, former Texas Tech and Alabama senior Nimari Burnett exploded for a career-best 31 points. 

A gauntlet awaits Michigan in the upcoming week, with a trip to No. 7 Purdue Tuesday night followed by a clash with No. 3 Duke in D.C. on the horizon. 

2. Illinois (21-5)

Despite a 34-point outburst from freshman phenom Keaton Wagler, the Fighting Illini dropped consecutive contests for the first time this season after an overtime loss vs. Wisconsin on Feb. 10. That defeat, which nipped the heels of another overtime loss, this one at Michigan State on Feb. 7, led to a crucial matchup Sunday. 

Led by Wagler and fellow freshman star David Mirković, Illinois handled Indiana on its home floor, 71-51. Mirković, a native of Montenegro, paced the team with 25 points and 3 assists while committing zero turnovers. 

On top of regained momentum, Brad Underwood’s team inserted veteran guard Kylan Boswell back into the rotation against the Hoosiers. Boswell, who has been out since Jan. 17 with a broken hand, will play a key role in leading a youthful Illinois squad through the trials and tribulations of a postseason run. 

3. Purdue (21-4)

The reemergence of Fletcher Loyer’s jumpshot has propelled the Boilermakers to four consecutive victories, and back into the top three of the Big Ten Power Rankings. During Purdue’s 80-77 overtime win at then-No. 7 Nebraska on Feb. 10, Loyer launched 17 long balls. Sure, the senior from Fort Wayne only banged home four, but that confidence bodes well for a shooter of Loyer’s caliber. 

Saturday in Iowa City, Gicarri Harris delivered an emphatic 14 points, good for a career high for the sophomore from Atlanta. Early in the first half, with the score still knotted at 7-7, Harris posterized Iowa freshman Cooper Koch, which earned an eruption from play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler.  

Next up for the Boilermakers is a visit from No. 1 Michigan.

4. Nebraska (22-3)

“You can’t be on an emotional roller coaster, or else your players will follow.”

Fred Hoiberg delivered this sentiment following his team’s 80-77 home loss to Purdue, one in which he saw his team surrender 21 offensive rebounds. As they have done all season, the Cornhuskers responded to adversity with a dominant performance Saturday afternoon in Lincoln, particularly on the glass.

Nebraska outrebounded visiting Northwestern 40 to 24, including a 13 to 6 advantage on the offensive end. The schedule entering March lightens up for Hoiberg’s crew, with no currently ranked opponents remaining on the docket.

5. Wisconsin (18-7)

How many times can David take down Goliath? Well, for the newly ranked No. 24 Badgers, who secured their third top-1o win of the season Saturday, that answer may be ongoing. 

Tuesday night in Champaign, a combined 49 points from Nick Boyd (25) and John Blackwell (24) drove the Badgers to a 92-90 overtime victory over then-No. 8 Illinois. The visitors’ locker room erupted postgame, as coach Greg Gard celebrated with his team by donning a “Jake Davis” wig worn by the Illini student section. 

Looking for back-to-back wins over top-10 teams with Michigan State in town, Wisconsin dominated, riding scoring outputs of 29 and 24 from Boyd and Blackwell, respectively, to a 92-71 Valentine’s Day victory. 

6. Michigan State (20-5)

Losses in three of the last four prompted a tumble for Sparty, who ranked inside the top five in each of the previous renditions. An 85-82 victory over then-No. 5 Illinois sandwiched between a pair of losses saw Jeremy Fears Jr. fill up the stat sheet with 26 points and 15 dimes.

A court storming in Minneapolis and a 21-point “good, old-fashioned, a**-kicking” in Madison, however, raise areas of concern for Tom Izzo’s squad. The Spartans rank No. 43 nationally in offensive rating, according to KenPom. In each of the last two trips to the Big Dance for Michigan State, scoring outputs of fewer than 70 resulted in a premature exit.

Will Your Team Make the Tourney?

Bracketology 2026: Men’s NCAA Tournament Projections

Feb 16: Hoops HQ’s lead bracketologist builds his field of 68. Michigan snatches the No. 1 overall seed, while TCU makes its season debut.

Bubble Watch 2026: Missouri, Virginia Tech Trending Up; Wisconsin Approaching a Bid

Welcome to Bubble Watch, where we monitor who’s on the guest list and who’s on the curb ahead of the NCAA Tournament

7. UCLA (17-8)

The Bruins headed to the halftime break very much in the contest, trailing then-No. 2 Michigan by just a deuce Saturday in Ann Arbor. Just 20 minutes of gametime later, however, Mick Cronin’s team left the Crisler Center with the sour taste of a 30-point defeat in their mouths.

“We were awful in the second half,” Cronin said. “We were God awful.”

On a brighter note for UCLA, sophomore guard Trent Perry has continued to showcase his improvement. A native of nearby West Covina, Perry averaged just under 4 points a game last season. Averaging more than 12 points per game this season, the four-star recruit has led the Bruins in scoring in three of their last four. 

8. Indiana (17-9)

Sam Houston transfer Lamar Wilkerson nearly made Hoosiers history on Feb. 9 vs. Oregon. History, of course, that Wilkerson set himself with a 44-point explosion vs. Penn State on Dec. 9. 

A senior out of Ashdown, Ark., Wilkerson scored 41 against the Ducks, which finished just shy of the Assembly Hall scoring record he set vs. the Nittany Lions in December. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers faithful, an inability to consistently compete with superior competition has put a ceiling on the team’s ranking. 

The DeVries Team Is Primed for a Final Run At Indiana

Tucker DeVries, who played for his father Darian at Drake and West Virginia, is one of 10 transfers who will play for Darian’s first team at Indiana

9. Iowa (18-7)

Warning: When a team relies on an individual to carry the load, results may vary.

For Iowa, which has lived and died by Bennett Stirtz this season, that continues to prove true. The Hawkeyes entered a Feb. 11 matchup at Maryland riding a six-game winning streak, with Stirtz pouring in 90 combined points in the latter three. 

Despite 32 from Stirtz, however, Iowa fell to lowly Maryland. With then-No. 13 Purdue in Iowa City Saturday, Stirtz scored 17 on 7 of 12 shooting from the field. The rest of the Hawkeyes shot a combined 13 of 41, however, and Iowa never stood a chance, falling 78-57.

10. Ohio State (16-9)

Bruce Thornton left it all on the floor Saturday afternoon in Nashville, desperate to help his Buckeyes earn a statement victory. Just before the under-12 media timeout in the second half, Thornton buried a triple. The next offensive possession, the senior finished at the rim, which gave Ohio State a 59-53 lead over then-No. 15 Virginia with just over 10 minutes to play. 

Similar to Stirtz, however, struggles from an inconsistent supporting cast hurt Thornton and the Buckeyes, who dropped the nonconference showdown, 70-66. Thornton scored 28 in the defeat, but the chances for a marquee victory continue to dissipate for Ohio State, and with it a chance at an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. 

11. USC (18-7)

The son of an NBA icon flashed glimpses of his father on Feb. 8 at Penn State. With the score even at 75 and USC inbounding, Alijah Arenas collected the rock with 7.3 seconds to play. The true freshman stumbled, dribbled through his legs, spun to his left, twisted back to the right, and finished a right-handed finger roll just before the final buzzer sounded. 

The Calif. native who endured immense trauma before ever taking the floor for the Trojans has quickly become one of the nation’s best stories. Arenas has led the Trojans in scoring in each of the team’s last three. On Feb. 3 vs. Indiana, he delivered a career-best 29 points in just his seventh collegiate game. 

12. Washington (13-13)

Maintaining its spot at No. 12, Washington avoided a slide in the rankings with a 69-57 triumph over Minnesota on Feb. 14. The win, which followed a home loss to last-place Penn State, was driven by 26 points and 9 rebounds from freshman forward Hannes Steinbach.

“I thought our guys did a tremendous job bouncing back and coming back to compete, coming back with some energy tonight,” said coach Danny Sprinkle. 

For the Huskies, who continue to battle despite a never-ending list of injuries and ailments, the future appears bright under Sprinkle. 

13. Minnesota (11-14)

A sea of maroon and gold flooded the floor at Williams Arena on Feb. 4. Driven by double-digit scoring contributions from each member of the starting five, Minnesota secured its first top-10 win of the season, defeating then-No. 10 Michigan State 76-73. 

However, consecutive losses vs. Maryland and Washington prevented the Gophers from climbing the rankings any further. Offensive struggles resurfaced in each contest, as Minnesota failed to reach 65 points. 

14. Rutgers (10-15)

NJIT transfer Tariq Francis, who has led the Scarlet Knights’ scoring efforts in five of the last six, paced Rutgers with 21 points in a 68-57 victory over Rutgers on Feb. 15. 

With just one ranked opponent left to play for Steve Pikiell’s group, the home stretch may offer a chance to build momentum for next season. 

15. Maryland (10-15)

At just 71.4 points per contest, Maryland ranks third-to-last in the Big Ten in scoring. That deficiency shined in a major way against Rutgers, as the team finished just 22 of 66 from the field. 

The Terrapins secured their largest win of the season on Feb. 11, handing Iowa a 77-70 defeat in College Park. True freshman Andre Mills uncorked for a career-high 24 points to drive Maryland. 

16. Oregon (9-16)

Dana Altman’s crew halted a 10-game skid with an 83-72 home victory over Penn State Saturday afternoon. Led by senior forward Nate Bittle, who tallied 22 points and 5 assists, the Ducks secured their second conference victory of an injury-riddled season.

Bittle’s return provided much needed juice for a depleted Oregon squad on Feb. 7 at then-No. 12 Purdue. In fact, the Ducks held a one-point lead with under a minute to play, but Loyer buried a long ball to squash Oregon’s upset bid.  

17. Northwestern (10-16)

A raucous crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena could hardly believe their eyes as they watched their Wildcats head to the locker room with a 44-35 halftime lead over then N0.2 Michigan. 

Dreams of a student-filled court quickly vanished, however, as the Wolverines belted Northwestern in the second half, outscoring them 52-31. A rare shooting slump arrived at the worst possible time for senior guard Nick Martinelli, who finished the contest just 5 of 22 from the floor. 

18. Penn State (11-15)

In spite of a cross-country trip to the Pacific Northwest, Penn State picked up its first road conference victory of the season Feb. 11 at Washington. Led by Freddie Dilione V’s 16 points, PSU muzzled the Huskies.

Dilione has proven a solid portal pickup for Mike Rhoades and his staff. The junior, who began his career with a season at Tennessee, leads the Nittany Lions with 14.4 points per contest.