Big Ten basketball power rankings: Michigan no longer in the No. 2 spot after blowout loss

Michigan Wolverines basketball lost in blowout fashion and has dropped a spot in this edition of the Big Ten power rankings. Here’s our ranking of the conference teams 1-18 with one week to play in the regular season.

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1. Michigan State (24-5 overall, 15-3 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 1st (—)
Last week: at Maryland (W, 58-55), vs. Wisconsin (71-62)
This week: at Iowa (March 6), vs. Michigan (March 9)

Michigan State is on its most impressive win streak of the season, which is saying something considering it won 13 games in a row earlier in the year. The Spartans have come out on top in five straight, with all five against teams ranked inside the top 30 nationally on Kenpom — Illinois (19th), Purdue (16th), Michigan (29th), Maryland (14th) and Wisconsin (10th).

The Spartans needed some magic — a three-quarter court buzzer beater by backup guard Tre Holloman — to win in regulation at Maryland, but they survived and advanced before protecting home court against Wisconsin Sunday.

Michigan State is a win at Iowa away from clinching a share of the Big Ten championship.

2. Wisconsin (22-7 overall, 12-6 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 3rd (+1)
Last week: vs. Washington (W, 88-62), at Michigan State (L, 71-62)
This week: at Minnesota (March 5), vs. Penn State (March 8)

Wisconsin is playing great basketball lately, despite losing to Michigan State by nine points in East Lansing Sunday. The Badgers were without starting sharpshooter Max Klesmit and couldn’t hit their threes, going 5-of-32 from beyond the long line in that one, but have been the most efficient team in the Big Ten since Feb. 1, according to Bart Torvik’s T-Rank.

3. Michigan (22-7 overall, 14-4 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 2nd (-1)
Last week: at Nebraska (W, 49-46), vs. Rutgers (W, 84-82), vs. Illinois (L, 93-73)
This week: vs. Maryland (March 5), at Michigan State (March 9)

Michigan finished last week 2-1, but legitimately could’ve gone 0-3. The Wolverines are in the middle of a tough stretch of games packed into a small window of time.

The Wolverines’ last nine wins have come by four points or fewer, but Sunday’s home game against Illinois was anything but close at the end. The Fighting Illini are a bad matchup for the Maize and Blue, but that doesn’t excuse how poorly U-M played, especially in the rebounding department.

Michigan has won 10 games since its West Coast trip at the beginning of January, the third-most among Big Ten teams since Jan. 12, but rank No. 84 in the nation in terms of overall adjusted efficiency during that stretch, per T-Rank. The Wolverines have found a way, but have to improve down the stretch.

They’re still in the hunt for a Big Ten title, which is quite amazing given they won three conference games last season.

4. Maryland (22-7 overall, 12-6 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 4th (—)
Last week: vs. Michigan State (L, 58-55), at Penn State (W, 68-64)
This week: at Michigan (March 5), vs. Northwestern (March 8)

Maryland had a rough week offensively, losing to Michigan State at the buzzer and gutting out a 68-64 win at Penn State, but has one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. The Terrapins rank second in the conference on that end of the floor during the league season.

5. Purdue (20-9 overall, 12-6 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 5th (—)
Last week: vs. UCLA (W, 76-66)
This week: vs. Rutgers (March 4), at Illinois (March 7)

Did Purdue hit a wall or see its schedule ramp up? The latter probably deserves the most blame for the Boilermakers dropping four-straight games (Michigan, Wisconsin, MSU, Indiana), but they also haven’t been as impressive as they were back in January. The Boilermakers picked up a big win over UCLA Friday night.

6. Illinois (19-11 overall, 11-8 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 7th
Last week: vs. Iowa (W, 81-61), at Michigan (W, 93-73)
This week: vs. Purdue (March 7)

Illinois has been one of the most interesting teams in the country this season, very talented but inconsistent and prone to laying an egg on any given night. The Fighting Illini still rank No. 19 in the nation on Kenpom, though, 14th on offense and 34th on defense. They’ve been waiting to finally hit their shots and put it all together, and that performance came Sunday at Michigan, a 20-point victory.

7. UCLA 20-9 overall, 11-7 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 6th (-1)
Last week: at Purdue (L, 76-66)
This week: at Northwestern (March 3), vs. USC (March 8)

UCLA is a solid team that might not be cut out for the physicality of the Big Ten and to win many road games. At the same time, tournament play is coming and the Bruins have enough talent to make at least a little noise.

8. Oregon (21-8 overall, 10-8 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 8th (—)
Last week: vs. USC (W, 82-61)
This week: vs. Indiana (March 4), at Washington (March 9)

Oregon is on a five-game win streak and back over .500 in conference play. The Ducks have taken advantage of having three of their last five games at home, a lighter schedule and pulling off an incredible comeback at Wisconsin a week and a half ago.

9. Indiana (18-11 overall, 9-9 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 9th (—)
Last week: vs. Penn State (W, 83-78), at Washington (W, 78-62)
This week: at Oregon (March 4), vs. Ohio State (March 8)

Indiana is (barely) on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, winners of four of five games. The Hoosiers can all but punch their ticket to the Big Dance with a pair of wins this week.

10. Ohio State (16-13 overall, 8-10 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 10th (—)
Last week: at USC (W, 87-82)
This week: vs. Nebraska (March 4), at Indiana (March 8)

Ohio State is falling off the bubble, and fast, but can redeem itself this week. The Buckeyes were 1-5 against top-60 teams on Kenpom last month.

11. Rutgers (14-15 overall, 7-11 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 12th (+1)
Last week: at Michigan (L, 84-82)
This week: at Purdue (March 4), vs. Minnesota (March 9)

Rutgers was so close to being on a three-game win streak with a road victory over a top-15 team, before Michigan graduate guard Nimari Burnett hit a deep three at the buzzer around 11 p.m. ET Thursday night in Ann Arbor.

The Scarlet Knights are a poor defensive team but have been the 19th-most efficient offense in the nation since Jan. 13, per T-Rank, capable of outscoring a lot of teams on the schedule.

12. Nebraska (17-12 overall, 7-11 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 11th (-1)
Last week: vs. Michigan (L, 49-46), vs. Minnesota (L, 67-65)
This week: at Ohio State (March 4), vs. Iowa (March 9)

Suddenly, Nebraska — one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten two weeks ago — is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. The Cornhuskers have been skating on thin ice for a couple weeks now, and they’ve lost three games in a row, including to two non-tournament teams in Penn State and Minnesota. They’re running out of gas.

13. Minnesota (15-14 overall, 7-11 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 14th (+1)
Last week: vs. Northwestern (L, 75-63), at Nebraska (W, 67-65)
This week: vs. Wisconsin (March 5), at Rutgers (March 9)

Minnesota has beaten Michigan, Oregon, UCLA and Nebraska, but lost to Penn State, Northwestern and Washington. This is one of the best of the non-NCAA Tournament Big Ten teams, and that’s much better than what the outlook appeared to be a month or so ago.

14. Northwestern (16-13 overall, 7-11 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 15th (+1)
Last week: at Minnesota (W, 75-63), vs. Iowa (W, 68-57)
This week: vs. UCLA (March 3), at Maryland (March 8)

Northwestern has won three games in a row and just keeps fighting, despite what’s been a tough season due to injuries to two of its three best players in Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach.

Nick Martinelli is carrying the load offensively, playing more minutes (94.8 percent of his team’s minutes) and scoring more points (19.9 per game) than any other Big Ten player, Ty Berry is shooting it better from deep and a rising star has been born in freshman guard KJ Windham.

15. USC (14-15 overall, 6-12 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 13th (-2)
Last week: vs. Ohio State (L, 87-82), at Oregon (L, 82-61)
This week: vs. Washington (March 5), at UCLA (March 8)

Pretty much only scoring from two-point range and being weak on defense and on the boards has caught up to USC, which has lost five-consecutive games and only notched three victories since mid-January.

16. Penn State (15-15 overall, 5-14 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 16th (—)
Last week: at Indiana (L, 83-78), vs. Maryland (L, 68-64)
This week: at Wisconsin (March 8)

Penn State beat Nebraska and Minnesota, then hung in to lose by a combined nine points in setbacks to Indiana and Maryland. Finally, Mike Rhoades‘ group is playing to its potential — which isn’t high but is strong enough to at least be competitive. The Nittany Lions had a 1-11 stretch before these last four contests.

17. Iowa (15-14 overall, 6-12 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 17th (—)
Last week: at Illinois (L, 81-61), at Northwestern (L, 68-57)
This week: vs. Michigan State (March 6), at Nebraska (March 9)

Iowa has an above average offense and the worst defense in the Big Ten, not a recipe for success.

18. Washington (13-16 overall, 4-14 Big Ten)

Previous ranking: 18th (—)
Last week: at Wisconsin (L, 88-62), vs. Indiana (L, 78-62)
This week: at USC (March 5), vs. Oregon (March 9)

Washington ranks 18th in offense and 17th in defense during Big Ten play, per Kenpom. The Huskies have lost four games in a row and won only two road tilts all season.