The flip of the calendar to 2025 means that we are getting exclusively in-conference games for our beloved college basketball teams until Selection Sunday comes around.
11 out of the 18 Big Ten teams are projected to be in the field of 68 in ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket release. The Big Ten narrowly trails the SEC’s 12 projected teams. Following is the Big 12 with eight, the ACC with five, and the Big East with three.
Conference realignment has concentrated the top teams in the sport into just a couple of conferences. It makes each power conference more competitive and talented, which is why the first week of Big Ten play after the New Year has been terrific.
Illinois spearheads the ranking at the top spot. The Fighting Illini made the trip to the Pacific Northwest to battle Oregon and Washington, coming out victorious in both games. Illinois posting 109 points in a 32-point thrashing of Oregon is the most impressive win in conference play so far, and they must claim the No. 1 spot for this ranking.
The Michigan schools follow Illinois, with Michigan State at No. 2 and Michigan at No. 3. I’m giving the edge to Michigan State here due to more impressive and convincing wins against Big Ten opponents, but the margin is razor-thin for me.
Michigan State took care of business in Columbus on Friday, and they also had a 37-point win against Nebraska back in December. Dusty May’s Wolverines traveled to Los Angeles this weekend and defeated USC. They remain unbeaten in conference play but have a tough test against UCLA on Tuesday.
Purdue slots in at No. 4, due to a pair of blowout victories this past week. Since dropping their first conference game to Penn State, they’ve looked impressive and more like their usual selves. UCLA slides down to No. 5 in the power ranking due to a competitive loss at Nebraska, but confidence remains for them to finish in the top three in the conference at the end of the season.
Oregon and Nebraska follow the top five as two teams trending in different directions. Oregon let up triple digits in a loss to Illinois but bounced back with a win against Maryland at home. They will travel east to play Ohio State and Penn State next week, searching for answers on the defensive end.
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg has done a fantastic job with his team so far this year. The Cornhuskers defeated UCLA this past weekend to propel themselves to 2-1 in conference play. Since their 37-point loss to Michigan State earlier in the year, Hoiberg has made necessary adjustments to put his squad back on the bubble.
Wisconsin, Indiana, and Penn State round out the top ten. The Badgers made everything they launched at the rim this past Friday against Iowa, scoring 116 points in a 31-point victory. They might be better than the eighth-best team in the conference, and if they string a few more wins together against their weak next four games, they’ll be right in the top five.
Indiana had a great week, defeating Rutgers at home and Penn State on the road. Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, and Mackenzie Mgbako make up one of the best trios in the conference, and it was well displayed in these last two games. Indiana is trending up since having early season miscues.
Penn State slips to the No. 10 spot here, due to a loss to Indiana at the Palestra in Philadelphia this past weekend. They did handle Northwestern at home earlier in the week, which keeps them inside the top ten. The Nittany Lions have a tough week with Illinois and Oregon on the docket, and necessary changes must be made by head coach Mike Rhoades for them to stay in bubble talks.