Updated Big Ten power rankings (Jan. 16)

It’s been a few weeks since we first ranked the Big Ten teams and a lot has happened since; Purdue had the top spot then lost on a buzzer-beater, Northwestern won in East Lansing, and Indiana has yet to win a road game. Here’s our updated Big Ten power rankings based on what we know about each team now:

#1 Illinois

• Record: 13-3, 6-0
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 11/12

The Illini are the only team without a loss in conference play so far this season after Michigan State fell to the Wildcats, so putting them in the first spot here was a pretty easy choice. Illinois’ conference schedule hasn’t been too hard yet, but it was able to beat Iowa on the road and most recently, the Illini beat Michigan by 15 points. They’ll have a true test on Monday when they host the Boilermakers.

#2 Wisconsin

• Record: 14-2. 5-1
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 27/22

Indiana’s close loss in the Kohl Center looks a lot better now that Wisconsin has road wins against Purdue and Maryland, plus home victories against Iowa and Ohio State. Wisconsin is also the only team in the Big Ten with two victories against teams ranked in the top 10 on KenPom. Brad Davison is, unfortunately, playing the best basketball of his career right now, averaging over 15 points a game as the Badgers’ second-leading scorer behind sophomore Johnny Davis.

#3 Purdue

• Record: 14-2, 3-2
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 5/8

When I published the first iteration of my power rankings, Purdue fans responded within minutes on Twitter, upset with the fact that I wouldn’t put the Boilermakers at #1 until the AP did so. They were very obviously refreshing their Twitter feeds just waiting for me to say something nice about their team, so to the Purdue fans reading this, hello. The Boilermakers have now dropped two games in Big Ten play, a buzzer-beater at Rutgers and a five-point loss at home to Wisconsin. They have an impressive win against Villanova and they have handled lesser opponents with ease, like their clubbing of Butler in the Crossroads Classic. Still, they are a bit unproven and sit just one game above .500 in the conference, so they haven’t dominated the way many expected.

#4 Michigan State

• Record: 14-3, 5-1
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 22/20

Outside of their recent loss to Northwestern, the Spartans’ only losses this season came to Kansas and Baylor, which are both in KenPom’s top 10 right now. Like Illinois, they’ve had an easier Big Ten schedule so far, having played Northwestern twice now along with Minnesota, Nebraska and Penn State. Besides the losses to Kansas and Baylor, Michigan State has had a pretty easy schedule overall, with its most impressive win coming against Loyola Chicago on a neutral court.

#5 Ohio State

• Record: 10-4
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 20/26

It was tempting to put Indiana in the five spot here, especially after the Hoosiers beat Ohio State handily in Assembly Hall a few weeks back. At the end of the day though, the Buckeyes still have the more impressive resume with a wins against Duke, Seton Hall, Wisconsin and a road victory at Penn State. Like Indiana, none of Ohio State’s losses have looked too bad; they’ve lost at Xavier, on a neutral court to Florida by one basket, at Indiana and at Wisconsin. Interestingly, Bart Torvik is much higher on the Hoosiers while KenPom still favors the Buckeyes. For the sake of these rankings though, their road wins against Nebraska and Penn State give them an edge over Indiana.

#6 Indiana

• Record: 12-4, 3-3
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 26/19

#7 Iowa

• Record: 12-4, 2-3
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 21/25

#8 Rutgers

• Record: 10-6, 4-2
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 91/103

#9 Penn State

• Record: 8-6, 3-3
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 65/76

#10 Minnesota

• Record: 10-4, 1-4
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 84/71

#11 Michigan

• Record: 7-7, 1-3
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 32/39

#12 Northwestern

• Record: 9-6, 2-4
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 52/60

#13 Maryland

• Record: 9-8, 1-5
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 81/96

#14 Nebraska

• Record: 6-12, 0-7
• KenPom/Bart Torvik: 158/164

In his third season at the helm at Nebraska, Fred Hoiberg has yet to win a Big Ten game this season, keeping his conference win total at five during his time at Nebraska. Maryland is also free-falling a bit, winning just one conference game since Mark Turgeon’s midseason exit. The computers apparently still like Michigan, but the Wolverines have lost three of their last four games, including a home game against Minnesota. Indiana could certainly separate itself from the middle of the pack if it starts winning road games, but since teams No. 6 through No. 12 on this list are all playing competent basketball, the Big Ten figures to be a gauntlet for the Hoosiers again this year.