* Records Updated through morning of 1/14/25Braden Smith, Purdue
1. Michigan State Spartans
14-2 overall, 5-0 Big Ten
We've become accustomed to Tom Izzo's Michigan State teams taking their lumps in the non-conference and early Big Ten play, but this 2024-25 team appears to be different. They've jumped out to a 5-0 start to conference action, punctuated by an impressive victory over Northwestern to cap off the weekend. The Spartans have been fortunate to miss most of the other league heavyweights en route to their strong start, but the way they've came out and taken care of business seems to indicate this team is a real threat to take home the regular season Big Ten crown this winter. The schedule remains favorable through the month of January, but we'll learn a lot about this team with how they handle the February slate. In a stretch from February 4 - 21, five of Michigan State's six games will be against teams currently ranked in the Top 25, including trips Oregon, Illinois, and Michigan.
2. Purdue Boilermakers
13-4 overall, 5-1 Big Ten
A rough month of December, at least by typical Purdue standards, knocked the Boilermakers down the rankings, and they've responded with five straight victories. Much like Michigan State, the Boilermakers have certainly taken advantage of a relatively soft start to their conference schedule, but winning five of six league games is a challenge in any conference, let alone the Big Ten. Junior guard Braden Smith has been the centerpiece of an offense that seems to have figured out their early-season woes. He's always been an elite floor general, but Smith's growth as a scorer so far this season makes this Purdue backcourt a real challenge for opposing defenses. He went for 34, 20, and 22 in a three-game span during this win streak, but still remains one of the country's best passers. In fact, his 8.9 assists per game put him third nationally, behind Louisiana Tech's Sean Newman Jr. and Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard.
3. Michigan Wolverines
13-3 overall, 5-0 Big Ten
It's been a remarkably quick turnaround in Dusty May's debut season in Ann Arbor, with the Wolverines perched near the top of the league standings. The transfers May and staff brought in over the offseason have gelled surprisingly well, and have given this team a sort of old-school, throwback feel as compared to the rest of the conference. Big man Vlad Goldin, who followed May from Florida Atlantic, has had little issue adjusting to the physicality of the Big Ten and has paired nicely with Yale transfer center Danny Wolf. Add in a healthy Roddy Gayle Jr., Michigan seems to be hitting their stride at the right time and has a good shot to start league play 7-0 before they go into Mackey Arena for a date with Purdue.
4. Illinois Fighting Illini
12-4 overall, 4-2 Big Ten
The personnel looks a lot different than the group that led Illinois to the Elite Eight last spring, but this Illini team plays a similar style. Their free-flowing, aggressive offense is boasting nearly 87 points per contest, with one of college basketball's most exciting players as their figurehead in point guard Kasparas Jakucionis. Jakucionis came over to the States all the way from Lithuania and has had little issue picking up the American game, stuffing the stat sheet full with averages of 16.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 5.4 APG. Just as important, he's one of the rare playmakers that makes every teammate around him better, opening up space for the rest of a balanced supporting cast that has five players averaging double-digits. Yet, the same issues that have plagued Illini teams of the past are still here, namely a particularly spotty defense. Losing over the weekend to Eric Mussleman and the USC Trojans showed the Illini still have work to do as they look towards the meat of their Big Ten slate - which includes road trips to Indiana and Michigan State next.
5. Oregon Ducks
14-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
Oregon needed a run in the conference tournament to secure an automatic bid in the Pac-12 last season but so far in 2024-25, they look like a comfortable NCAA Tournament participant. The Ducks secured huge resume-boosting wins over Alabama and Texas A&M in the non-conference and have looked good through the early portion of Big Ten play. Their two losses, a tight one to former Pac-12 foe UCLA and a loss to Illinois in which the Illini hit 16 three-pointers, are both quality defeats. It will be interesting to see whether center Nate Bittle can continue his impressive play into the thick of conference action. The former blue-chip recruit has battled injuries his entire career, but is now putting together an All-Big Ten type season now that he's at 100 percent. If he can keep it going, Oregon has the legit post presence they need, which is almost a prerequisite to winning in this conference.
6. Wisconsin Badgers
13-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
A stepback in Madison was expected this year after an offseason when they said goodbye to A.J. Storr, Tyler Wahl, and Chucky Hepburn. On the contrary, the Badgers have looked much improved through the early portion of Big Ten play, and look to be a real threat for the conference crown. John Tonje, a transfer from Colorado State, has looked to be one of the most impactful transfers anywhere in the country this year, but it's the returnees around him that have fueled Wisconsin's success so far. John Blackwell and Max Klesmit are a superb combo in the backcourt and forward Nolan Winter is experiencing a breakout, forcing veteran Steven Crowl out as the Badgers best player on the block. It's just been shocking to see a Wisconsin team with this much firepower. They're averaging 83.1 points per game, and have been one of the best shooting teams in the league. This is also a team that makes the most of their opportunities - at 85%, they are by far and away the best free throw shooting team in the conference, with Michigan State in second at 82%.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
12-4 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
Stop me if you've heard this before - the best offense in the Big Ten resides in Iowa City. However, even as we've become used to high-scoring Hawkeye teams under Fran McCaffery, this team still feels different, as they're scoring nearly 90 points per contest. It's hard to imagine them keeping that pace throughout the entire Big Ten season, but this is a roster built to score. Sharpshooting Payton Sandfort has taken up the mantle as Iowa's best all-around weapon, while Owen Freeman is building on his big freshman season with a strong encore as a sophomore. Perhaps most important are the three guards that see the heavy minutes, in Josh Dix, Drew Thelwell, and Brock Harding. On their own, none of these guys are going to take over games, but they complement each other exceptionally well and their ability to space the floor stretches the entire defense. If the Hawkeyes can continue to play the way they have as of late, they could be a very fun dark horse in this league.
8. Indiana Hoosiers
13-4 overall, 4-2 Big Ten
Following an offseason that saw them spend big to reel in some of the biggest names in the portal, Indiana was widely considered the Big Ten favorite heading into the winter. They've struggled to live up to those expectations through the early portion of conference action, although they do still find themselves in fairly good position at 4-2 in the league. Getting more production from his backcourt has to be a priority for Mike Woodson, which seems to be a recurring issue throughout his time in Bloomington. Myles Rice has been an impactful addition, but injuries to Kanaan Carlyle and Gabe Cupps have robbed the Hoosiers of their depth. The road ahead is not an easy one - after a lighter stretch through January, the Hoosiers have one of the most treacherous February slates in the Big Ten.
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
12-4 overall, 2-3 Big Ten
Although a recent two-game skid dropped them below .500 in the Big Ten, Nebraska looks to be a really threatening team in the middle-of-the-pack. They got a huge in-state road win against Creighton in the non-conference and have also looked the part inside the league, beating the likes of Indiana and UCLA. Brice Williams may be one of the most underrated guards anywhere in the country, a guy averaging 18.8 PPG shooting 48% from the field, 91% from the stripe, and 40%from three. However, for the 'Huskers to climb the ladder, they'll need more production from a supporting cast that has plenty of veteran faces, but could use some scoring punch.
10. Maryland Terrapins
13-4 overall, 3-3 Big Ten
It's been an interesting road through Maryland's first six conference games this season, as they won their league opener, proceeded to lose three straight, and now have won their last two games - all leading them up to be even at 3-3 in mid-January. They have the looks of a strong basketball team on paper, one that puts up good scoring numbers, and holds opponents to under 64 points per contest. However, finding consistency has proven to be a consistent problem for Kevin Willard so far in College Park, and this feels like a team that is going to continue to rotate between very high highs and very low lows. A silver lining? The one-point victory in the non-conference to Villanova that originally looked inconsequential is looking better and better, with the Wildcats playing themselves into an NCAA Tournament team.\
11. Ohio State Buckeyes
10-6 overall, 2-3 Big Ten
Jake Diebler did such a good job as an interim late last winter that he earned the full-time gig in Columbus, and Year One got off to quite the start, with the Buckeyes upsetting Texas in their season opener. Since then, the Buckeyes have been solid, but clearly still have some flaws Diebler will have to iron out if he wants to build this program back into being a reliable contender in the conference. The offense has had some really bad showings on the season, some of which are understandable, such as against top-ranked Auburn on the road. Others, such as managing just 59 points in a bad loss to Maryland in early December, are significantly more confusing.
12. UCLA Bruins
11-6 overall, 2-4 Big Ten
It's been a rather quick descent for UCLA in just the last two weeks. The Bruins won their first two games in the Big Ten against former Pac-12 conference foes and ended their non-conference with a huge win over Gonzaga, which helped them secure a spot in the Top 25. Since that Gonzaga win, the Bruins have dropped four straight and now find themselves hovering near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. To be fair, three of those four have been on the road, but it's clear Mick Cronin is under some pressure as he looks ahead to the rest of their league schedule. Finding some offensive rhythm will be a necessity, as UCLA has been held at 68 points or below in four of their last five.
13. Penn State Nittany Lions
12-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten
Penn State finished a respectable 9-11 in the first season under Mike Rhoades last season, and they look again like a team that is going to hover around the .500 mark in the league. They look good ahead for another upset or two, after beating Purdue earlier in the season, but three straight defeats, including an ugly one to Illinois have them in this spot in the rankings. I do appreciate the balance on this roster, one that has six players averaging double-digit scoring, but a spotty defense feels like it may hold the Nittany Lions back from reaching their full potential.
14. USC Trojans
10-6 overall, 2-3 Big Ten
Perhaps this is far too low for USC fresh off a major victory for them against Illinois on the road, but we're still learning about this Trojan team in Year One of the Eric Musselman era. The Illinois win showed this team can score in a hurry, particularly when Desmond Claude is dropping 31 points as he did in that game, but the offense remains streaky. The loss of forward Terrance Williams II may be a bigger one than the average fan may realize - Williams isn't going to go for huge numbers, but he was a bright spot on the block for a team that is short on proven bigs. If others can't emerge with him out, especially with Williams projected to potentially miss the remainder of the season, the Trojans could be in trouble.
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
9-8 overall, 2-4 Big Ten
No team in this conference is as interesting to me as the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. I mean, no other team in the Big Ten has this freshman combination of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, a pair that has lived up to the hype so far in what will likely be their lone collegiate seasons. Despite those two averaging 39 points per game between them, and both shooting quality numbers from the field, the Scarlet Knights sit at 9-8 overall, sub-.500 in the conference, and are mainly an afterthought in the league. The rest of this roster is just so underwhelming that not even the brilliance of Harper or Bailey can make up for it. Perhaps some of the others will find their shooting stroke, but Rutgers just feels like it's going to be a team with ample potential that just isn't deep enough to be a threat. There's plenty of basketball left and things can always change in a hurry in this league, but the Scarlet Knights have major issues to overcome.
16. Northwestern Wildcats
10-6 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
A three-game skid has dropped Northwestern near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, but this is a team that I think could rise in short order for the next set of these rankings. There's nothing flashy about the Wildcats, there rarely is with this team under Chris Collins, but they have a veteran roster that has a lot of pieces that have played together for many years. Nick Martinelli and Brooks Barnhizer, two players who have been on this roster for multiple years now, both have taken leaps, but Northwestern's lack of depth has caught up to them in several close games. That isn't likely to get any easier given what the Wildcats face the rest of the way, but I still always believe veteran teams like this will figure it out eventually.
17. Washington Huskies
10-7 overall, 1-5 Big Ten
It was always going to be a rebuilding season for Danny Sprinkle in Year One in Seattle, and the move to the Big Ten certainly has not helped. So, it's not surprising to see the Huskies sitting at 1-5 in the conference, but it's evident there is work to be done if this team wants to climb up the standings in this league. Washington was not gifted an easy start to life in the Big Ten - they face a stretch of five straight ranked teams in some of their first conference action, including three of those foes being on the road. When the schedule clears in late January and February, I wouldn't be shocked if this team rises quickly up these rankings.
18. Minnesota Golden Gophers
8-9 overall, 0-6 Big Ten
It doesn't feel like there's an overwhelming favorite in the Big Ten this year, but there is a clear bottom-feeder. Minnesota has had a rough 2024-25 up to this point, and it's hard to imagine the Gophers turning things around. With Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell Jr., the Gophers have some star power, but the rest of the roster is just so underwhelming and disjointed. Ben Johnson did the best he could piecing together this roster after they were hit hard by surprising portal defections this past offseason, but it just isn't working. The best Minnesota can hope for is that guard Tyler Cochran returns from injury and makes a major impact, but even that feels like a pipe dream. Simply scrounging up a couple Big Ten wins seems like a lofty goal in Minneapolis this winter.
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