The penultimate Big Ten Power Rankings of the regular season are upon us.
With Michigan, which reigned supreme all season, atop the throne once more, where do the teams vying for position beneath them fall?
Head to Hoops HQ to see where your team lands!
1. Michigan (27-2)
A seismic clash on Feb. 21 in the nation’s capital landed in No. 1 Duke’s favor. The showdown, which featured the top two defensive teams in the country, according to KenPom, marked one of three top-10 matchups for the Wolverines in a 10-day span.
In each of the others, a pair of road tests at then-No. 7 Purdue and then-No. 10 Illinois, Dusty May’s team took care of business. Transfers continue to drive success for May. In West Lafayette on Feb. 17, former UNC guard Elliot Cadeau paced the Wolverines with 17 points and 7 dimes. Friday night, in front of a hostile student section at his former school, Illinois transfer Morez Johnson Jr. uncorked for 19 points and 11 boards.
The loss of key bench piece LJ Cason to a torn ACL undoubtedly hinders Michigan, but there remains no question about the Wolverines’ ability to contend for a spot in the national title game.
2. Michigan State (24-5)
“Everybody says you haven’t won there very often. I got news for you. Who in the hell has?”
Thursday night at Mackey Arena, Tom Izzo and his Spartans did just that, handing Purdue its fourth home loss of the season. State utilized a vintage Izzo-led performance, fueled by a dominant defensive second half that saw a top-three Boilermakers offense produce just 35 points.
To finish its Hoosier State roadtrip, Sparty handily defeated Indiana. The victory, propelled by 21 points and 13 rebounds from senior forward Jaxon Kohler, gave him his 12th double-double of the season.
3. Illinois (22-7)
A lackluster defense continues to hamper the Fighting Illini, who boast the nation’s top offense, yet lost back-to-back games for the second time in the month of February last week.
At UCLA on Feb. 21, Illinois exploded for a 20-0 first-half run. However, the Bruins clawed their way back and forced overtime. Holding a one-point lead with 4.9 seconds to play, porous defense from the Illini allowed UCLA’s Donovan Dent to cruise up the floor for the game’s winning bucket.
Against Michigan, Illinois had no answers for the strength of the Wolverines frontcourt. So, while the offense possesses the firepower to score with the best, an improvement on the defensive end may be imperative for a deep March run.
4. Nebraska (25-4)
Fresh off a heated loss at Iowa, Pryce Sandfort and the Huskers returned to Lincoln hoping for a bounceback performance. Led by a career-high 33 points from Sandfort, Nebraska took advantage of a visit from last-place Penn State on its way to a 87-64 victory.
Sandfort followed his monstrous outing with a 32-piece just seven days later. While Sandfort continues to heat up, look for improved play from senior big man Rienk Mast to play a key role in Nebraska’s chances to reach Indianapolis.
5. Purdue (22-7)
Matt Painter expressed his frustrations following the latter of consecutive defeats for his Boilermakers, who topped the season’s initial AP Poll.
“Ohio State played harder than us,” he said after an 82-74 loss in Columbus Sunday. “There’s nobody out there who said, ‘Ohio State was better, but man, Purdue played harder…’ That’s not been our deal through the last 50 years. That’s not been our deal.”
Indeed, inconsistencies throughout the season, particularly on the defensive end, have resulted in a bumpy road for the Boilermakers. The nation’s No. 2 ranked offense is paired with just the 33rd best defense, according to KenPom.
6. Wisconsin (20-9)
Hanging on the top-five bubble line in HHQ’s power rankings all season long, a sound defeat at Oregon prompted a slight tumble for the Badgers. Off shooting nights from junior John Blackwell and SDSU transfer Nick Boyd did Wisconsin in, as the defense proved unable to pick up the slack on the other end.
An unsuspecting star drove a much-needed answer in Seattle. Braeden Carrington, a Tulsa transfer who began his career with a pair of seasons at Minnesota, delivered a record-setting night. The senior shattered the program’s single-game triples record with nine three-point makes, which aided his career-best 32 points.
7. UCLA (19-10)
When the Bruins departed Westwood, headed east to Minneapolis, New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent appeared set to embark on a heater. And why not? The senior electrified Pauley Pavilion with a game-winning layup vs. then-No. 10 Illinois, before pouring in 30 points vs. rival USC, his highest output as a Bruin.
It all came crashing down in the Twin Cities, however, as Dent finished just 1 of 6 from the floor. He added 15 assists, but 32 points and 8 rebounds from Tyler Bilodeau proved insufficient in a 78-73 defeat. UCLA surrendered a trio of 20-point scorers to the conference’s third-worst scoring offense.
8. Iowa (20-9)
Bennett Stirtz scoring at a high level allows the Hawkeyes a middle of the pack offense, with a ceiling near the top-third of the Big Ten. On an off night from the Drake transfer, Iowa’s scoring output routinely drops to the cellar.
Against Penn State, which entered play Saturday with a 2-15 conference record, Stirtz finished 6-of-15 from the floor for just 16 points. Like clockwork, the Hawkeyes’ offensive production plummeted, and they dropped a 71-69 decision in University Park.
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9. Ohio State (18-11)
Entering Sunday’s contest with then-No. 8 Purdue, the Buckeyes sat on the wrong side of the bubble. Just 40 minutes of gameplay and a sea of scarlet and gray on the floor later, Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament chances proved very much alive.
Driven by a game-high 21 points from sophomore John Mobley Jr., alongside an efficient 20 from Bruce Thornton, Ohio State earned an 82-74 victory, its third consecutive win over Purdue.
10. Indiana (17-12)
Losses at the hands of a trio of top-15 opponents, two of which were on the road, can be easily explained. A home defeat delivered by a Northwestern squad which entered play 3-13 in conference, however, begs questions about the depth of the Hoosiers’ roster.
Similar to Iowa, a reliance upon transfer star Lamar Wilkerson caps Indiana’s ceiling. The former Sam Houston State guard has led the team in scoring in each of the last seven, averaging over 26.6 points per game. Yet, the Hoosiers finished just 2-5 in that span.
11. Minnesota (14-15)
Standing at the line with the game in his hands, chants of his name began to rain down from the Gophers faithful.
With ice in his veins, junior forward Bobby Durkin buried both free throws, clinching a 78-73 victory over UCLA. Durkin, a Davidson transfer, delivered a season-high 23 points for the Golden Gophers. Fellow portal recruits Langston Reynolds (Northern Colorado) and Cade Tyson (North Carolina) added 21 points each.
12. USC (18-11)
A tumultuous season ended in wacky fashion for USC and Chad Baker-Mazara. When the Trojans recruited Baker-Mazara, who brought five years of collegiate experience and a trip to the Final Four with him, they hoped to add to a winning pedigree.
Instead, a short tenure littered with off-the-floor controversy ended prematurely, as the team announced Sunday that Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the men’s basketball program.
Unfortunately for the Trojans, they have been unable to stay afloat amidst the distractions and inconsistency, and have dropped five consecutive contests.
13. Washington (14-15)
On a day dedicated to Huskies legend Detlef Schrempf, current players left the arena disappointed. Hannes Steinbach and Zoom Diallo vented their frustrations with the performance, a showing that Diallo deemed “embarrassing.”
A team devastated by injuries throughout the season continues to fight. On Feb. 24 at Rutgers, Steinbach’s 24 points and 16 rebounds drove a 79-72 Huskies win. Barring a miraculous run through the Big Ten Tournament, however, Washington will settle for its sixth straight miss of the Big Dance.
14. Northwestern (13-16)
Nick Martinelli’s game winner Saturday depicted the struggle the 2025-26 season has been for the Wildcats.
Trailing Oregon by a point with the final seconds of regulation ticking away, Martinelli worked toward the free-throw line, where he was met by Kwame Evans Jr. Undeterred, Martinelli spun to his left, tossed up a finger roll, watched the leather roll around the rim, hang for a tantalizing second, and swish through nylon.
Despite a 2-13 start to conference play, the Wildcats have picked up three consecutive victories, including a road win over Indiana.
15. Rutgers (12-17)
A battle of the conference’s lowest scoring teams yielded a 69-65 final, a result fit for under bettors (which sat at 141.5). Led by 19 points from NJIT transfer Tariq Francis, Rutgers earned a road victory over Maryland, securing a 2-0 season sweep of the Terrapins.
The Scarlet Knights have won three of their last five, but will in all likelihood fall shy of the NCAA Tournament, which they have not reached since the 2021-22 season.
16. Oregon (11-18)
Back-to-back wins at USC and vs. Wisconsin were a testament to the toughness of Dana Altman’s group, which has battled injury all season. Against the Badgers, senior forward Nate Bittle tallied 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, all of which paced the team.
Oregon fell just shy of a three-game winning streak Saturday in Evanston, despite another strong performance from Bittle, who finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds.
17. Penn State (12-17)
With a 71-69 victory over Iowa Saturday afternoon, Penn State picked up its second Quad 1 win of the season.
Cincinnati transfer Josh Reed torched the Hawkeyes for a game-high 25 points. At the free-throw line with a chance to put the game away, junior guard Freddie Dilione V delivered the dagger, burying both foul shots with one second to play.
18. Maryland (11-18)
An award hogged by freshman phenom Keaton Wagler at Illinois found its way to College Park last week. Andre Mills, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard out of Boston, exploded for a career-best 39 points at Northwestern on Feb. 18. The ensuing contest, Mills’ team-high 29 drove a victorious effort for the Terps.
The Big Ten Freshman of the Week carried his strong performance into the following week, finishing with 19 points at then-No. 12 Nebraska before totaling a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) vs. Rutgers.
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