Big Ten basketball power rankings

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Michigan States Marvin Clark Jr. defends against Purdue’s Vince Edwards during the second half on Sunday, March 13, 2016, at Bankers Life Field house in Indianapolis.

By The Daily Illini sports staff

Editor’s note: Every week, The Daily Illini sports staff ranks the basketball teams in the Big Ten, 1-14, and compiles the lists into its own Big Ten power rankings.

1. Purdue 23-6, 12-4

Head coach Matt Painter will need to rally the Boilermakers after a difficult week. Purdue beat Penn State by four points and followed that up with a loss to Michigan. Still, Purdue remains one of the dominant teams in the conference and will bounce back.

2. Michigan State 18-11, 10-6

Michigan State continues to cruise after winning against Nebraska and Wisconsin. The Spartans defeated the Cornhuskers by 16 and the Badgers by 10. Michigan State is 4-1 in its last five games.

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3. Minnesota 22-7, 10-6

Minnesota went off and is riding a seven-game win streak. The Gophers are arguably the hottest team in the conference, which can only help them entering the conference tournament in a few weeks.

4. Michigan 19-10, 9-7

The Wolverines had a strong week notching wins over Rutgers and Purdue. Mortiz Wagner led Michigan with 24 points in the team’s 82-70 upset home win over No. 14 Purdue.

5. Maryland 22-7, 10-6

The Terps did not look like themselves, losing back-to-back home games, each by 14 points to Minnesota and Iowa. Maryland leading scorer Melo Trimble averages 17.1 points per game, but only scored 11 against Minnesota and 10 against Iowa.

6. Wisconsin 22-7, 11-5

Wisconsin is still slipping after falling to Ohio State. The Badgers are 1-3 in their last four games. This recent struggle from the Badgers could impact Greg Gard’s squad come conference and NCAA Tournament time.

7. Northwestern 20-9, 9-7

The collapse continues for Northwestern after suffering a winless week, dropping to Illinois and Indiana. A few weeks ago, the Wildcats were on track to bolster a strong resume for the NCAA tournament, but now, have become a vulnerable bubble team.

8. Iowa 16-13, 8-8

This was a perfect week for Iowa with wins over Indiana and Maryland. Freshman guard Jordan Bohannon stepped up for the Hawkeyes with four steals against the Hoosiers and 24 points against Maryland.

9. Ohio State 16-13, 6-10

Ohio State enjoyed a little home court advantage this past week with a 10-point home win over Wisconsin. The Buckeyes were led by C.J. Jackson who dropped 18 points, while JaQuan Lyle added 17 points off the bench in the upset win over the Badgers.

10. Illinois 17-12, 7-9

The Illini completed the season sweep of Northwestern this last week. Illinois is now on a three-game win streak and has won back-to-back regular season conference games for the first time in two years.

11. Indiana 16-13, 6-10

The Hoosiers snapped a five-game losing streak in an upset win over Northwestern. Indiana will be put to the test with a road game at rival No. 14 Purdue Tuesday. Indiana lost by five to Purdue earlier this season.

12. Nebraska 12-16, 6-10

Nebraska struggled from the field against Michigan State, resulting in a 16-point loss to the Spartans. Tai Webster had 19 points and 10 rebounds but shot only 3-9 from the field. The Cornhuskers are 2-4 in their last six games.

13. Penn State 14-15, 6-10

Penn State is currently on a three-game losing streak after losing to Purdue and Minnesota. The Nittany Lions hung tough with Purdue, losing by four. A rough first half against the Gophers sealed Penn State’s fate in a 10-point loss.

14. Rutgers 13-16, 2-14

Rutgers continued its losing ways, falling to Michigan 68-64. Though the Scarlet Knights extended their losing streak to five, one positive is they hung tough with the Wolverines in a four-point loss.

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A previous version of this story incorrectly said Illinois was on a two-game win streak when it should have been a three-game win streak. The Daily Illini regrets the error.