Big Ten Power Rankings

First, I would like to thank Jason for the opportunity to post for Btown Banners. I will be doing a weekly Power Ranking of each Big Ten team. With this being the first week, I will give a preview of where I think the season is headed for each team, and starting next week, I will give a recap of the past week's action. Without further ado, here we go!

1. Ohio State Buckeyes - The Buckeyes clearly look to be the class of the Big Ten this year. With David Lighty and Jon Diebler on the outside, and Jared Sullinger and Dallas Lauderdale on the inside crashing the boards, the Buckeyes will be tough to contend with throughout the year. With quality wins over Florida and Florida State early in the season, the Buckeyes will look to keep it rolling into the Big Ten season.

2. Michigan State Spartans - The Spartans should be on the Buckeyes heels throughout the Big Ten schedule. Their 6-2 record is a bit misleading, losing a game in the Maui Invitational to a ranked Washington Huskies team and a tough road game at Cameron Indoor against the Duke Blue Devils, the Spartans are better than they look on paper. They also have the inside-outside game with Kalin Lucas running the offense and Draymond Green patrolling the paint on both ends.

3. Illinois Fighting Illini - Illinois is led by senior Demetri McCamey, and they rely on him to handle the rock and provide leadership on the floor. They have a solid big man inside in 7-1 center Mike Tisdale. For a big man, he has surprisingly good touch around the rim, and a solid 15-18 foot jumper to go along with the post game. From the outside, McCamey leads the way along with sophomore D.J. Richardson. The duo are both shooting above 50% from behind the arc so far this season. The Illini will challenge for the Big Ten title, but are most likely looking at a third place finish at best with the Spartans and Buckeyes ahead of them.

4. Purdue Boilermakers - With the loss of Robbie Hummel for the season, Purdue's hopes of a Big Ten title were reduced significantly. They are talented on the defensive end, and with E'twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson, they have talented offensive players, but Hummel was who they looked to in big spots. The Boilermakers have fared well so far this year, but once the rigorous Big Ten schedule starts, they don't have the chops to hang and bang with the top flight teams.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers - The Golden Gophers are a bit of a surprise team as of right now, running their record to 7-1 through their first 8 games, with the only loss coming at the hands of the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Gophers have a balanced offensive scoring attack with 4 players averaging double digit points. One of those players is 6-8 Trevor Mbakwe who has notched a double-double in 5 of the first 8 games. However, I wouldn't expect that trend to continue once the Big Ten schedule starts and the competition is improved and he is facing bigger men on a night to night basis.

6. Wisconsin Badgers - The Badgers seem to find a way to contend each year in the Big Ten, and I don't expect this year to be any different. Without a doubt, the leader of their team is Jon Leuer, a 6-10 forward averaging 20 points a game, nearly 8 rebounds and shooting 50% from the three-point line. The Badgers are always tough at the Kohl Center, and I don't see that changing any time soon under Bo Ryan. They have dropped games to UNLV and Notre Dame, but both are formidable foes. Look for the Badgers to finish in the top half of the Big Ten. Anything less would certainly be a disappointment in Madison this year.

7. Northwestern Wildcats - Northwestern is likely to give some teams headaches this year, but the program is still looking to make its first NCAA tournament, so until that happens, I won't be able to consider them a threat to the throne in the Big Ten. The Wildcats are led by John Shurna who is averaging 22.4 points a game and shooting an astonishing 62% from behind the arc so far this season. The Wildcats will definitely struggle to beat teams on the glass this year, ranking 305th nationally in rebounds per game. Much of this may be attributed to shooting 50.9% from the field as a team, but they still need to be aggressive hitting the defensive boards to contend in the black and blue Big Ten schedule.

8. Indiana Hoosiers - The Hoosiers are off to a 7-1 start, but lost to their only real competition so far in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to the Boston College Eagles. The Hoosiers are led by Christian Watford and Maurice Creek, with Verdell Jones III playing an important role as well. IU has to focus on taking care of the ball this year, averaging 17 per game through 8 games. Aside from Jordan Hulls, the Hoosiers also lack a consistent outside shooter than can stretch the floor. Time will tell with this team, but help is on the way with Tyler Zeller, Austin Etherington and Yogi Ferrell in the pipeline. This team continues to build, and the future is bright for the Hoosiers.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions - Penn State's early record is a bit misleading, as they simply aren't a very good team. They are led by Talor Battle, but aside from Battle, they are pretty thin at other positions. Their two losses have come against good competition, but they were manhandled by Maryland and beaten soundly by Ole Miss. They don't score many points on offense, and don't shoot a high percentage, which is a recipe for disaster during the Big Ten season. A .500 record would be a great season for this Nittany Lions basketball team.

10. Michigan Wolverines - Michigan is clearly in a rebuilding phase after losing their 2 best players from last season in Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims. This season's Wolverines are a half-court team that has to play good defense and take care of the ball to have a fighting chance to win the game. They don't have any great athletes that can create their own shot, so when the shot clock is low, they will struggle to find quality looks. The Wolverines will likely be mired in the bottom three of the conference for much of the season.

11. Iowa Hawkeyes - The Hawkeyes have really changed their identity this year bringing in new coach Fran McCaffery. McCaffery prefers an uptempo offense, and their current players just aren't suited for a system like that. In a few years once McCaffery is able to recruit players that fit his style of play, they may be a force to be reckoned with, but this year's team just doesn't mesh with the coaching style. The Hawkeyes are led by Eric May, but they have the same problem as Michigan; nobody can create their own shot. Any finish above the cellar would be a surprise to me.

Hope you enjoyed the first installment of the Big Ten Power Rankings, and be sure to check back next week for an updated set of rankings!

Brian

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