Big Ten Power Rankings: Nebraska No. 1 After Purdue Loss, Illinois Holds Steady

It’s Jan. 21, 2026. Indiana has just won the national championship in football. And Nebraska is the only undefeated basketball team in the Big Ten. What a time to be alive.

With Purdue falling on the road to UCLA on Tuesday, the Cornhuskers are the lone team in the conference to still own a zero in the loss column – and that includes their overall record (18-0 heading into a Wednesday home meeting with a sneaky-dangerous Washington club).

Naturally, that translates to a shift in our Illinois on SI Big Ten Power Rankings – albeit no movement of the seismic kind. Without further ado, we present to you the updated top five:

Big Ten basketball power rankings: Top five

No. 5: Michigan State (7-1 Big Ten)

As Tom Izzo-led clubs often do, these Spartans just continue to find ways to win. Even in spite of Kur Teng’s inability to guard Izzo’s 99-year-old mother (be sure watch the clip below), Michigan State’s defense is operating at an elite level, as no opponent has scored more than 66 on the Spartans since the turn of the New Year.

"We're all flying back to East Lansing and [Kur Teng] is flying to Appleton. Check USA Today tomorrow him and my mom will be going at it in a nursing home gym..."

Tom Izzo on telling Kur Teng he couldn't guard his mother during MSU's game at Oregon. pic.twitter.com/WAoMTjJxY8
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 21, 2026

Still, the tough part of Michigan State’s Big Ten slate has yet to arrive, and thus far the best win for Izzo’s team in conference play is the home "W" over Iowa. Winning every game you “should” win in the Big Ten is a surprisingly tall task, however, and the Spartans deserve their flowers for doing just that through eight league games (the lone falter being a two-point road loss at Nebraska).

No. 4: Illinois (6-1 Big Ten)

Dec 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood before the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Playing like the hottest – or second-hottest (sorry, Nebraska) – team in the country, Illinois has rattled off seven straight victories. Of those triumphs, three came on the road against Big Ten foes – including an impressive road victory at Iowa, which remains the Hawkeyes’ sole loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

With the top-rated offense in the country (per KenPom) and a defense that has blossomed into a suffocating unit, the Illini are well-rounded and have a roster filled to the brim with high-level scorers. Unfortunately, the recent loss of veteran guard Kylan Boswell (expected to be out until mid-February), paired with the upcoming slate of road contests at Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State, USC and UCLA – all within the next month – has Illinois in jeopardy of seeing its forward momentum come to a screeching halt.

No. 3: Michigan (7-1 Big Ten)

Jan 17, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May reacts to receiving a technical foul during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

What is going on in Ann Arbor? Honestly, the fact we’re asking that question about the No. 3 team in the country and a club with a 17-1 overall record is a testament to how good the Wolverines are – or were. Ever since beating the brakes off USC for what felt like its trillionth 30-point victory in a row, Michigan hasn’t borne any resemblance to its early-season self.

A two-point win at Penn State, then a three-point loss at home to a so-so Wisconsin team, followed by a 10-point win at Washington. Underwhelming, to say the least. Then the Wolverines found themselves down at the break against an Oregon team that is 1-7 in Big Ten play and playing without its top two options (Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad) – although Big Blue came back to secure a 10-point win.

Not only are the Wolverines not invincible – they’re apparently quite vulnerable. That said, 17-1 is 17-1. And winning in the Big Ten on a game-to-game basis is no easy feat. Losses are inevitable. But home losses are a bit tougher to swallow.

No. 2: Purdue (7-1 Big Ten)

You’re right, Mick Cronin. The Big Ten should absolutely issue your squad a formal apology (hand-written, of course!) and perhaps even award UCLA two wins for the upset of Purdue – which, mind you, was on the back-end of a two-game road trip to Los Angeles. Anywho, the Bruins were quite impressive and reminded the country of the defensive abilities of a Cronin-led unit firing on all cylinders. But we aren’t here to talk about UCLA – which still belongs much further down the power rankings.

UCLA HC Mick Cronin shares his opinion on the Big Ten schedule following the upset over No. 4 Purdue. pic.twitter.com/UwtrqfXuIj
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 21, 2026

The Boilermakers, after a surprisingly tight battle with Penn State and a pair of escape acts against Iowa and USC, finally fell in league play. Again, it was inevitable. Even the best of the best in the Big Ten go down at some point.

But after what happened the last time Purdue lost (nine straight wins – the first five of which were by 16-plus points – following the Iowa State loss), we wouldn’t want to be the Boilermakers’ next opponent. (That would be you, Illinois.)

Matt Painter and Braden Smith, as we’ve said all year, are the best in the business at their particular positions (head coach and point guard, respectively), and big man Oscar Cluff has quietly been one of the top additions in the conference, while Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer have each been stars in their own roles. (Kaufman-Renn’s scoring numbers have dropped drastically, but that’s more a result of additional pieces being added to the roster than it is a step back on his part.)

No. 1: Nebraska (7-0 Big Ten)

We know: No. 1 being used to describe Nebraska basketball does take some getting used to. It's almost as jarring as “college football national champion Indiana Hoosiers." At the same time, it’s quite refreshing. For now, the Big Ten – at least on the hardwood – runs through Lincoln.

The Cornhuskers aren’t the most talented team in the conference, but Fred Hoiberg's coaching, Nebraska's overall offensive synergy and its experience across the roster have all morphed together to create a juggernaut. Oh, and don’t get it twisted: The Huskers have bucket-getters.

Sam Hoiberg is a top-notch table-setter and has that innate coach-on-the-floor ability (shocking, considering who his father is), while Pryce Sandfort and Rienk Mast carry much of the scoring burden.

Defensively, especially in terms of discouraging shots at the basket, Nebraska is phenomenal. And beyond the arc, opponents shoot just 30.7 percent. That leaves just tough twos for foes to scrounge around for – the dream shot for a defense.

The date circled on everyone’s calendar: Jan. 27. Nebraska at Michigan. The Cornhuskers have already knocked off two teams in this top five (Michigan State and Nebraska), but can they make it four? We’ll find out next Tuesday.