Big Ten Power Rankings - 12/31/2012

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By Jeff Ranger.

The non-conference season is over. With the Big Ten season starting this week, college basketball is about to get to down and dirty in the race to March. New Year. New Rankings. Let’s dive right in.

1) Indiana (12-1): Upcoming: @Iowa (12/31) Since losing to Butler, Indiana has jumped back into the top 5. Domination has been the norm recently. In their three games following the loss, they have a 35-point average margin of victory. They obviously remain 1st in scoring. With Yogi leading the way, the Hoosiers are now 8th in assists per game. Rebounding continues to get better especially with the emergence of rebounding extraordinaire, Hanner Mosquera-Parea. With guys like Cody Zeller, Jordan Hulls, and Victor Oladipo, the Hoosiers have the size, shooting ability, and freak athleticism to take the Big Ten by storm. They’ll have to prove themselves on the road for once and going to Iowa will be a good first test.

2) Michigan (13-0): Upcoming: @Northwestern (1/3), Iowa (1/6) The Wolverines remain number two in the AP Poll and our B1G rankings. They have quite possibly the easiest beginning three game stretch in the Big Ten featuring a road game at Northwestern and two home games against Iowa and Nebraska. Uncertainty surrounds their second leading scorer and third leading rebounder, Tim Hardaway Jr., who has a sprained ankle. Freshman guard, Nik Stauskas, is one of the best sharp shooter’s in the nation. Trey Burke, a POY candidate, is a matchup nightmare for any team. He leads the Wolverines in scoring and assists. Look for Indiana and Michigan to battle for Big Ten supremacy at the end of the year.

3) Minnesota (12-1): Upcoming: Michigan State (12/31), Northwestern (1/6) Thanks in part to Illinois’ bad week, the Golden Gophers jump up to number 3 in our rankings. They’ll get things rolling with the Big Ten first big match-up against 19th ranked Michigan State on New Year’s Eve. Every opposing team shouldn’t expect to score a whole lot when 11th ranked Minnesota comes to town. In their last five games, they have given up 60+ points just once. Trevor Mbakwe continues to recover from his injury last season and is grabbing rebound after rebound. Rodney Williams and Andre Hollins lead the way in scoring, rebounding, and assists. Tubby Smith has some great talent to work with as he tries to guide his team to a B1G Title at year’s end.

4) Ohio State (10-2): Upcoming: Nebraska (1/2), @Illinois (1/5) I guess you could say the Buckeyes are underrated here based on their talent, but they haven’t been able to prove their talent can win. They can also thank Illinois’ bad week for their move up in the rankings. After their loss to Kansas, the Buckeyes came out angry against three-win Chicago State and demolished them 87-44. Leading the team in scoring and rebounding, Deshaun Thomas has taken over as the best player on this Ohio State squad. The Buckeyes certainly have the talent to win a lot in the Big Ten, but will they meet expectations? Let’s see where they stand after their first B1G test at Illinois.

5) Illinois (13-1): Upcoming: @Purdue (1/2), Ohio State (1/5) Yikes. A bad week for Illinois slides them down to number five in our rankings. But hey, that’s what losing at home to Missouri and barely beating an awful Auburn squad does to a team. The loss to Missouri wasn’t that bad, but the two-point win at home against Auburn was as ugly as a win can be. Keep in mind that this is the Auburn team that lost by 20 to Murray State and lost to a 4-8 Rhode Island team. Nevertheless, Illinois has proven it can win and looks poised to turn some heads this Big Ten season. They have to keep making their shots to have a chance though.

6) Michigan State (11-2): Upcoming: @Minnesota (12/31), Purdue (1/5) I contemplated moving MSU up to 5 but decided against it. Although Illinois didn’t do so hot this week, they’ve proven themselves superior to Michigan State so far. The Spartans have a turnover problem. In fact, they’re turning it over 23% of the time they bring it up the court. No bueno. Big Ten defenses will feast on such a high amount of turnovers. Good thing they have a nice defense. The Spartans are good, but will their turnovers be the death of them in the Big Ten? Only time will tell. In what’s shaping up to be a great game, Michigan State will be tested right off the bat at Minnesota.

7) Iowa (11-2): Upcoming: Indiana (12/31), @Michigan (1/6) Well, the Hawkeyes couldn’t ask for a tougher start to conference play. Odds are they won’t be number 7 on our rankings next week. Their best shot at a win this week will be against an unproven road Indiana squad. Many people, including myself, see Iowa as a B1G sleeper. They can score, rebound, distribute the ball, and play pretty good defense. Sure, they’ve always been a sleeper and never lived up to that label, but don’t be surprised if they pull off some upsets this year, maybe win a Big Ten tournament game or two, and scratch and claw into the NCAA Tournament.

8) Wisconsin (9-4): Upcoming: Penn State (1/3), @Nebraska (1/6) Here’s a stat everyone can enjoy. Since November 24, Wisconsin has given up over 55 points in a game exactly one time. Typical Badger squad. The problem is their offense, or lack thereof. They’ve averaged a mere 53 points in three of their four losses. If it weren’t for cupcakes on the schedule, Wisconsin’s offense might not even have good stats. Facing the two worst Big Ten teams, Penn State and Nebraska, will be a great confidence booster as they begin to face tougher competition. Although down from previous years, the Badgers are always a tough team to play.

9) Northwestern (9-4): Upcoming: Michigan (1/3), @Minnesota (1/6) Northwestern faithful have waited their entire lives to see Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament, and they’ll have to keep waiting. This year will be a rough one to watch for Northwestern. They can’t score and they can’t rebound. Big Ten teams will more than likely just out muscle the Wildcats this season. Taking on Michigan and Minnesota to begin conference play is looking like it will be a demoralizing experience. However, if Northwestern can pull off an upset, they’re fans might just need to get a little excited.

10) Purdue (6-6): Upcoming: Illinois (1/2), @Michigan State (1/5) The Boilermakers should probably just throw in the towel right now. Beating Ball State by ten at home is a sign that you’re just not very good. In comparison, IU beat ball State by 48 and scored 35 more points than Purdue put up on the Cardinals. Purdue is one of the lowest scoring teams in the Big Ten and their lone bright spot is their ability to rebound. Everyone knew it was going to be a rebuilding year, but no one knew it would be this bad. If they’re lucky, they can steal a couple upsets over lower ranked teams. Boiler down indeed.

11) Penn State (9-4): @Wisconsin (1/3) Penn State barely crawls out of last place this week. Since December 5, they’ve won four straight games, which is always a plus heading into conference play. Facing Wisconsin and Indiana to start the conference season is a recipe for disaster for the Nittany Lions. They already can’t score. Will they even break 100 points combined in their first two B1G games? Penn State is missing their best player, Tim Frazier, and don’t have much behind him. It will be another terrible year for Penn State, as they will be lucky to win a handful of conference games.

12) Nebraska (9-4): Upcoming: @Ohio State (1/2), Wisconsin (1/6) Taking their first visit to last in our rankings is the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska is just flat out bad. Ranking dead last in the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding, the Cornhuskers are left hoping to steal an upset and make final scores respectable. Last season, Nebraska won a grand total of four B1G games. They might be headed towards that again. Penn State obviously offers their best chance at conference wins and maybe they can take a couple more at home against a Northwestern or Purdue. The Cornhuskers may be committed to rebuilding, but it will take a long time.

As the best basketball conference in the nation, the Big Ten has given its fans some great shows over the years. This year figures to be no different. The conference boasts two, maybe even three, legit title contenders and more top ten programs than the other conferences. In 2013, we will see incredible hoops and hopefully another banner for IU. Happy New Year Hoosier Nation!

[Will_Padgman 194]

Does anyone else think that IU and Mich should be switched? Because as much as I love my Hoosiers, numbers don't lie, and that loss column isn't in our favor. I understand that Hardaway is out, but let's be honest, its not like they can't win without him, because they have had to do it every time he disappears in games.

[BtownBanners 147]

Does anyone else think that IU and Mich should be switched? Because as much as I love my Hoosiers, numbers don't lie, and that loss column isn't in our favor. I understand that Hardaway is out, but let's be honest, its not like they can't win without him, because they have had to do it every time he disappears in games.

 

1. Michigan

2. Indiana

 

Looks much better to me as well.