1. Michigan
Rankings: 2 (AP), 4 (Coaches), 4 (KenPom), 2 (NET)
Current Record: 13-0 (2-0)
Key Wins: @ Villanova 73-46, North Carolina 84-67
Bad Loses: None
Takeaways: Michigan was great in non-conference play. They were dominant in their games against defending champs Villanova and North Carolina. They're clearly the team to beat, even if in recent games they have seemed beatable (if they don't bring their A game).
2. Michigan State
Current Record: 11-2 (2-0)
Key Wins: Texas (Neutral Court) 78-68, @ Florida 63-59
Bad Loses: None
Takeaways: The Spartans have shown they're a solid number two in the league who will compete with their neighbors in Ann Arbor. They have solid wins over Texas and Florida, and their only two losses are against Kansas and at a Louisville team who is going to surprise some people.
3. Ohio State
Current Record: 12-1 (2-0)
Key Wins: Cincinnati 64-56, @ Creighton 69-60
Bad Loses: Syracuse (62-72)
Takeaways: Ohio State has been the nicest surprise this season. They lost some key pieces from last year, yet have put together a quality team. The loss at home to the perennially overrated Syracuse team hurts as it is a game they really should've won, but it seems to just be a blip on the season as whole.
4. Indiana
Current Record: 11-2 (2-0)
Key Wins: Marquette 96-73, Louisville 68-67, Butler (Neutral Court) 71-68
Bad Loses: None
Takeaways: The Hoosiers had a good non-conference season. People will remember their poor performance at Duke, but to be fair, few teams will be able to compete with Duke. They were one bad foul call away from being 12-1. Additionally, Juwan Morgan should be player of the year. That is all.
5. Wisconsin
Current Record: 10-3 (2-0)
Key Wins: Oklahoma (Neutral Court) 78-58, North Carolina State 79-75
Bad Loses: @ Western Kentucky 76-83
Takeaways: The Badgers have shown they are a legit contender in the Big Ten, yet took a big step back this past weekend. They've put together some good wins and are 2-0 in conference, yet end non-conference play with a lose to Western Kentucky. Time will tell if this was a one-off (their two other losses are to a good Marquette team and a great Virginia team), or indicative of bigger issues. Regardless, I still think they're a sure bet to go to the tournament.
6. Nebraska
Current Record: 11-2 (1-1)
Key Wins: Seton Hall 80-57, @ Clemson 68-66, Creighton 94-75, Oklahoma State (Neutral Court) 79-56
Bad Loses: None
Takeaways: Nebraska had some good wins over quality competition. Of the four wins I listed as quality, only one wasn't by 20ish. They have plenty of experience on the team, even if their bench is still light on talent.
7. Iowa
Current Record: 11-2 (0-2)
Key Wins: Oregon (Neutral Court) 77-69, UCONN (Neutral Court) 91-72
Bad Loses: None
Takeaways: The big difference between this Iowa team and last years - which went 14-19 on the year - is that this team occasionally plays defense. It's not necessarily good defense, but it's still defense. They had the toughest December conference slate out of anyone, which explains the 0-2 record. I'm sure that will improve over the next 18 games.
8. Maryland
Current Record: 10-3 (1-1)
Key Wins: None
Bad Loses: None
Takeaways: Maryland is a team that has a lot to prove in league play. They didn't get any high quality wins during non-conference play and dropped a winnable game at Purdue. Maryland is talented, but needs to get some wins over the top end of the league to make the big dance.
9. Minnesota
Current Record: 11-2 (1-1)
Key Wins: Utah 78-69, Texas A&M (Neutral Court) 69-64, Washington (Neutral Court) 68-66, Oklahoma State (Neutral Court, Kinda) 83-76
Bad Loses: @ Boston College 56-68
Takeaways: Minnesota had a quietly good non-conference season. They have wins over four major conference teams, even though none of them seem to be serious threats in their respective leagues. The Golden Gophers had a solid victory over Nebraska in December conference play, which proves they can be competitive in the league.
10. Purdue
Current Record: 8-5 (1-1)
Key Wins: None
Bad Loses: Notre Dame (Neutral Court) 80-88
Takeaways: Purdue is a team I'm surprised people are still so high on. Offensively, the team is over-reliant on one player, Carson Edwards. They had some opportunities to knock off some quality teams, yet fell short each time. I count the Notre Dame game as a bad loss since, despite the final score, they were never really in the game.
11. Northwestern
Current Record: 9-4 (0-2)
Key Wins: Utah (Neutral Court) 79-57
Bad Loses: Fresno State (Neutral Court) 78-59
Takeaways: I would put the Wildcats in the tier of Big Ten teams that could move up into the discussion of a NCAA tournament birth. They may be at the bottom of the tier for me, but they may surprise some teams in the league, just like how both Michigan and Indiana barely escaped with wins in December.
12. Penn State
Current Record: 7-6 (0-2)
Key Wins: Virginia Tech 63-62
Bad Loses: Bradley (Neutral Court) 56-59,
Takeaways: Penn State is a confusing team to talk about. They have a very good win against Virginia Tech, yet a bad loss to Bradley. They play a style that gives a lot of teams in the league fits and their lack of atmosphere at home is a surprisingly big advantage. Still, I doubt they will finish in the top half even if they do upset a team or two.
13. Rutgers
Current Record: 7-5 (0-2)
Key Wins: @ Miami 57-54
Bad Loses: @ Fordham 70-78
Takeaways: Slowly but steadily, Rutgers is getting better. The Scarlet Knights played tough against MSU and Wisconsin in December conference play, which is a sign of a program becoming competitive in the league. While this year still won't be one that would be considered a break-out, I won't be surprised if they upset someone when they come to New Jersey.
14. Illinois
Current Record: 4-9 (0-2)
Key Wins: UNLV 77-74
Bad Loses: Florida Atlantic 71-73
Takeaways: Illinois is just not a good team. They've had a fairly tough schedule with all but one loss coming against major conference teams. That being said, nine losses is way too many, and losing to a team ranked over 200 in KenPom at home gives you little hope in this team.
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