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State of Michigan Nearing Top of Week 6 Big Ten Power Rankings

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Early Big Ten play has proven to be a good thing for some in this new era of the conference. With 18 teams, the fight to be elite will be harder than ever. Currently, some early favorites are starting to showcase what they are made of. It has been several years since the state of Michigan could say they are atop the Big Ten Conference. That is true right now with the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans at 2-0 in the Big Ten. Both teams have quickly risen in the Big Ten power rankings every week. They are pushing the likes of Purdue for the top spot this week . Being from the state of Michigan, things are better when both teams are near the top of the conference. Without further ado let’s take a look at the Big Ten power rankings for week six.

State of Michigan Nearing Top of Big Ten Power Rankings in Week 6

18. Minnesota (6-5, 0-2) Last Week: 18

Things have only gotten worse for Ben Johnson’s Golden Gophers. Since beating Bethune-Cookman following a poor showing during their holiday tournament, Minnesota has lost their first two Big Ten games, a 18-point home loss to Michigan State, and a 15-point loss at Indiana. Fans are growing impatient in Minneapolis.

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17. Washington (6-3, 0-2) Last Week: 16

The bottom of the barrel isn’t fun for anybody, and the Huskies continue to prove they aren’t on the same level as some of their new conference foes. Washington failed to win their first two Big Ten games at UCLA and an ugly night against USC. Great Osobor is an outstanding player, but the lack of guard play isn’t helping this team.

16. USC (6-4, 1-1) Last Week: 17

The Trojans have flirted with the bottom three spots in the Big Ten power rankings for weeks now. After opening Big Ten play with an eight-point loss at Oregon. USC was able to get the better of Washington to get their first-ever Big Ten victory. It appears Coach Musselman has found his go-to leader in Desmond Claude .

15. Rutgers (5-4, 0-1) Last Week: 14

Another week, another drop in the weekly Big Ten power rankings. It hasn’t been a lack of effort for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights needed to win in Columbus to boost their NCAA chances moving forward, and they were unsuccessful. The freshman duo continues to play great, but the frontcourt is killing this team. Zach Martini and Lathan Sommerville aren’t going to cut it in this league.

14. Iowa (7-2, 1-1) Last Week: 13

Confidence was high after beating Northwestern on a last-second shot by Josh Dix . That confidence dwindled a bit after they fell just short at Michigan. They have to regain that confidence with No. 3 and rival Iowa State coming to Carver-Hawkeye this week.

13. Nebraska (6-2, 0-1) Last Week: 7

Sure Nebraska looked like a top-eight team in the Big Ten, until their trip to East Lansing. The Huskers faced a buzzsaw, and have to rethink their game plan going forward. They lost by 37 points to Michigan State, where the team’s leading scorer was Andrew Morgan . Connor Esegian was a no-show with one point and no field goals. Buckle up Husker fans, the Indiana Hoosiers are next on the schedule.

12. Ohio State (6-3, 1-1) Last Week: 6

The Buckeyes got a confidence-building win over Rutgers to stay in the hunt. That’s big, especially after a blowout loss at Maryland to open Big Ten play. Good news for the Buckeyes in that Aaron Bradshaw is back with the team.

11. Northwestern (7-3, 1-1) Last Week: 15

It’s time to find out what the Wildcats are made of. After dropping a heart-breaker in Iowa, Northwestern made everything feel better in Evanston. Northwestern was able to outclass Brad Underwood’s 19th-ranked Illini. Nick Martinelli once again delivered an outstanding 27-point performance.

10. Illinois (6-2, 0-1) Last Week: 4

Not to be a hater, but what is going on in Illinois? They have all the talent in the world. and they couldn’t get a win at Northwestern. The next two games are some of the toughest yet. Is this Illini team ready for a dogfight with Wisconsin? What about No. 1 Tennessee this weekend?

9. Indiana (8-2, 1-0) Last Week: 12

When you write-off the Hoosiers, sometimes you can be wrong. Or, at least for a couple of days be wrong. Indiana was able to get an important Big Ten win to start this week. Sure it was Minnesota, but that won’t hurt the confidence of freshman Bryson Tucker . Tucker had a career-high 16 points. Will it carry forward to Nebraska?

8. Maryland (8-2, 1-1) Last Week: 10

The Terps have played great. Sure they lost at Purdue, but they gave the Boilermakers everything they had in a 83-78 loss. That’s a good showing, especially at the hardest place to play in Mackey Arena. There is no doubt this Maryland team is an NCAA tournament team. They likely aren’t going to stay in eighth in the Big Ten power rankings for long. Derik Queen had 26 points in the outing.

7. Penn State (8-1, 1-0) Last Week: 11

The team with the best win to date in the Big Ten is Penn State. An 11-point home win against No. 11 Purdue is nothing to frown at. Confidence is growing in Happy Valley. Can they replicate that energy at Rutgers this week?

6. Wisconsin (8-2, 0-1) Last Week: 1

It was a hard fall for the Badgers this week. They had no answers for Michigan’s ‘Area 51’ duo . Not to mention, they stumbled again at fifth-ranked Marquette right after that. This team has some work to do.

5. Oregon (9-1, 1-1) Last Week: 2

The top of the league was a short stay for the Ducks. After looking like arguably the Big Ten’s best team, Oregon fell flat on a last-second shot at UCLA. Both teams are contenders no doubt, but that loss is going to sting. A reset during the week off shouldn’t hurt.

4. UCLA (8-1, 2-0) Last Week: 8

The Bruins mean business, and it shouldn’t come as a shock. Being 2-0 in your first Big Ten season is a great start, especiallt when you get a road win at a ranked Oregon team. Eric Dailey Jr. showed up big with 19 points. Don’t sleep on UCLA.

3. Michigan (8-1, 2-0) Last Week: 9

These next two spots could easily be flipped. One thing is for sure, the state of Michigan is good at basketball again. Yes, finally. The Wolverines got a huge road win at Wisconsin and were able to fend off a tough Iowa group. Vlad Goldin might have taken that step forward that was expected of him. They have already matched their win total from last season.

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2. Michigan State (8-2, 2-0) Last Week: 5

The other half of the state of Michigan equation is Michigan State. Boy, do they look like a Tom Izzo team of old? Defend, rebound, run. This team is living up to that mantra. Winning at Minnesota was great, and beating Nebraska by 37 was a statement. Are they a Big Ten championship team? Time will tell. One thing is for sure, Jase Richardson is undeniable.

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1. Purdue (8-2, 1-1) Last Week: 3

Call me crazy for putting Purdue back at the top spot. This is more or less about how other teams dropped this week. The Boilermakers rebounded from their loss at Penn State with a very important win. They were able to defeat Maryland in a tightly contested matchup. This could be another Big Ten championship team. They are going to have their say for sure, but where has Cam Heide been?

The post State of Michigan Nearing Top of Week 6 Big Ten Power Rankings appeared first on Last Word On Basketball .