The Big Ten is moving in the wrong direction heading into March.
March Madness is only a few weeks away, and teams that appeared to be contenders just a moment ago have had some rather unimpressive performances right before the most important time of the season.
At the top of that list for the Big Ten are Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Maryland. The first two were locks for higher seeds in the NCAA Tournament midway through Big Ten play, but could hypothetically be on the bubble if they don’t elevate their level of play.
Let’s take a look at how they all rank in the final week of the regular season:
14. Michigan Wolverines (Last Week: No. 14)
Record: 8-22 overall, 3-16 B1G
The Wolverines have lost seven in a row now and host a really good Nebraska team in their final game of the regular season. There is no juice and no life in this program. The best part of the 2023-24 season for the Wolverines and their fans is when it will be over, which is coming soon.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Last Week: No. 12)
Record: 15-14 overall, 7-11 B1G
Less than a month ago, Rutgers throttled Wisconsin in Piscataway for its most impressive regular season win during a four-game winning streak. But, the Scarlet Knights have just two road wins in Big Ten play this season and are heading for a rematch with the still-skidding Badgers. A win would secure an above-.500 season for Rutgers in a rebuilding year with two mega-recruits on the way for next fall.
12. Maryland Terrapins (Last Week: No. 10)
Record: 15-15 overall, 7-12 B1G
At some point, on-court results matter. The Terps have played just about everyone in this conference close, but continue to not win. Despite the .500 record, KenPom still has them as the No. 50 overall team. However, they have only won two games since Jan. 27 when they were very much in the bubble hunt. It’s a disappointing finish to a season that could very easily have gone another way.
11. Penn State Nittany Lions (Last Week: No. 11)
Record: 14-16 overall, 8-11 B1G
Another team that struggles on the road is the Nittany Lions, who dropped games at Iowa and Minnesota this week. Still, I think they are going to be a tough out in the Big Ten Tournament if they get hot from deep. Games in consecutive days breed teams like the Nittany Lions to go on a run, and they have already upset a lot of teams in the conference this season.
10. Indiana Hoosiers (Last Week: No. 13)
Record: 16-13 overall, 8-10 B1G
The Hoosiers won their first game in Bloomington since January when they upset Wisconsin. They took that momentum on the road to beat Maryland, too. Now, they can continue to cause haywire to bubble teams in Minnesota and Michigan State in the final week of the regular season.
9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (Last Week: No. 8)
Record: 18-11 overall, 9-9 B1G
I think the best way to put Minnesota is as the best of the worst teams in the Big Ten. The Gophers defend their home court well, going 7-2 in Minneapolis in conference play, but they don’t have any signature road wins, and failed to be Illinois or Purdue, the only two currently ranked teams on their schedule. I just don’t see them coming anywhere close to being a NCAA Tournament team without a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (Last Week: No. 9)
Record: 18-12 overall, 8-11 B1G
Right now, Ohio State has the same record or better than Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. It’s been a hell of a turnaround since Jake Deibler took over the team, as the Buckeyes have won four of their last five. Their final game of the regular season is at Rutgers, and if they win, expect them to be a team that could make the most out of the Big Ten Tournament and potentially sneak into the NCAA Tournament.
7. Wisconsin Badgers (Last Week: No. 3)
Record: 18-11 overall, 10-8 B1G
It’s getting extremely difficult to defend what has happened in Madison in the last month. The Badgers are 2-7 since the start of February and dropped from the No. 6 team in the country to far outside of the rankings. Back-to-back losses last week have them in jeopardy of losing out the regular season. They face Rutgers at home and Purdue in West Lafayette, two teams that have already beaten them in this horrid stretch. To avoid being on bubble watch, Wisconsin has to win at least one of their guaranteed final three games of the season.
6. Michigan State Spartans (Last Week: No. 5)
Record: 17-12 overall, 9-9 B1G
Tom Izzo’s squad was primed for a run in February to turn around their season. They won five of six games, including a home win over Illinois last month. It looked like Michigan State was finally becoming the team we thought it could be. Then, it dropped consecutive home games to Iowa and Ohio State and lost to Purdue on the road. All were within single digits, but this Spartans team has lost a ton of close games this year. It’s the largest obstacle they have to overcome to be the menaces they usually are in March.
5. Iowa Hawkeyes (Last Week: No. 7)
Record: 18-12 overall, 10-9 B1G
I’ve been a pretty big fan of Iowa all season and it’s starting to shape out the way I thought it could for the Hawkeyes. In their last five games, they have beaten Wisconsin at home and both Michigan State and Northwestern on the road. They’re pushing teams on the bubble, and a win at home against No. 12 Illinois on Sunday would pretty much make them a tournament lock in my opinion. Right now, they are certainly playing better basketball than either the Spartans or the Badgers.
4. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Last Week: No. 6)
Record: 21-9 overall, 11-8 B1G
As long as Nebraska doesn’t lose to Michigan on Sunday they should be dancing. It will mark 22 wins for the Cornhuskers prior to tournament play, and they have been one of the most consistent teams in the Big Ten down the stretch. A loss to Ohio State in Columbus this past week was the only one they have had in their last six games. They’ve taken care of business against the bottom of the conference in the last month and deserve to be rewarded for it with the resume they have built.
3. Northwestern Wildcats (Last Week: No. 5)
Record: 20-9 overall, 11-7 B1G
Boo Buie is one of the most consistent performers in the conference. He’s scored in double-digits in all but three games this season and has dropped 20 points or more in five of the last nine games. The biggest concern for the Wildcats is rebounding, where they rank last in the Big Ten in team rebounds per game and are one of two teams who have a negative rebounding margin. Facing a team like Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament could spell an early exit.
2. Illinois Fighting Illini (Last Week: No. 2)
Record: 22-7 overall, 13-6 B1G
A loss to Purdue on Tuesday night hurts for an Illinois squad that was holding on to hope for a share of the Big Ten Regular Season Title. If Terrance Shannon Jr. hadn’t missed time, they may have finished as the conference’s best team. Illinois has played elite basketball down the stretch winning five of their last seven and should have a great shot at winning the Big Ten Tournament.
1. Purdue Boilermakers (Last Week: No. 1)
Record: 26-3 overall, 16-3 B1G
Zach Edey and the Boilermakers continue their dominance over the Big Ten with a huge win in Champaign against Illinois. They’re the top dogs for a reason and now will officially be the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. This program’s eyes are focused much further than that with a chance to redeem themselves as a likely No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a clear path to a Final Four and national championship. Players like Edey don’t just show up out of nowhere in the NCAA. To fall short of a title would be extremely disappointing for not only the Boilermakers’ fan base but also the Big Ten, who hasn’t seen a national champion since 2000.