Big Ten Power Rankings (Vol. 1): Purdue Easy Choice For Top Spot After Great Start

Purdue has made an emphatic statement during the first month-plus of the college basketball season, and the Boilermakers are the clear No. 1 team in our first Big Ten Power Rankings. They've gone from unranked nationally to No. 1 in just four weeks. Here's our rankings from No. 1 to No. 14, sure to ignite some debate.

The early wave of Big Ten conference games is over, so it's time to finally roll out my first Big Ten Power Rankings of the year here in mid-December. Yeah, I know, it's something I should have done in the preseason, but there was a good reason why I didn't.

Because I had no idea what to make of this league before the games started on Nov. 7.

How's that for honesty?

Full disclosure. I did have plenty of thoughts about it. Indiana was the preseason favorite in media polls and gambling websites, and I agreed with it at the time. Still do, to be honest. I also thought Illinois would be good with all the transfers, and I thought people were overlooking Ohio State a bit. I didn't like Michigan much and never know how to figure out Michigan State this time of year.

I had Purdue in my top-five, and a lot of my readers and talkers thought I was nuts. The Boilermakers had lost their entire backcourt outside of Ethan Morton, and the common thread was that relying on freshman to win in the Big Ten was a recipe for the disaster. A lot of people thought Purdue wasn't a championship threat at all. I disagreed.

But one thing we've learned through 10 games is that Purdue's starting kids, guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, are unique beasts. They aren't the least bit in over their heads as true freshmen and both of them have had huge games already. A lot of them. That's why Purdue is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country.

That's pretty good for a team that wasn't even in the top-25 to open the season. So it's a no-brainer that the Boilermakers are my No. 1 team in the Big Ten right now. They've earned it.

Here are my rankings, with records, everyone's best wins and losses so far, this week's schedule with TV information and my take on all 14 teams so far. Let's go!

1. Purdue Boilermakers

• Records: 10-0 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 1 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 4 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 6 Gonzaga, No. 8 Duke, Marquette and West Virginia. No losses.
• This week: Saturday vs. Davidson, 6:15 p.m. ET in Indianapolis. (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Purdue center Zach Edey has been named the Big Ten's Player of the Week for three straight weeks now, and the 7-foot-4 center has been dominant in his first full season as a starting center getting all the key minutes in the post. He's been averaging 22 points and 13.7 rebounds, plus another 2.3 blocks per game. He's certainly leading the way, but Loyer and Smith are the ones making this team great, playing well in wins over Duke, Gonzaga and others. They've filled a huge hole in this roster. They are second and third in scoring at 13.1 and 9.3 points per game and seem wise beyond their years. There's no doubt they've earned that top spot.

Purdue freshman Fletcher Loyer is off to a great start for the No. 1-ranked Boilermakers (USA TODAY Sports)

2. Indiana Hoosiers

• Records: 8-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 14 in the Associated Press poll and No. 16 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 16 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 18 North Carolina, Xavier. Lost at Rutgers.
• This week: Saturday at Kansas, Noon ET. (TV: ESPN2) 
• The skinny: Indiana was the trendy pick to win the league with All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis returning and a great freshman class coming in. But he's been slowed a bit by a back injury and then has been hounded with double- and triple-teams lately. He's averaging 16.8 points, down off his averages from the past few years. Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has missed three games with a back injury, and the other freshmen really haven't stepped up yet. This team has shown some flaws early, but it still looks that it all can be fixed with a full roster.

3. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Records: 7-3 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 21 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 2 Texas, No. 8 UCLA. Lost at home to Penn State, lost at Maryland.
• This week: Saturday vs. Alabama A&M, 4 p.m. ET. (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: OK, here's where the controversy and arguing can begin. The Illini are just 7-3 and already have lost two Big Ten games, one of just three teams to do so. But quality wins really mean a lot to me, and the Illini have two greats ones over Texas and UCLA. Terrence Shannon Jr. has been really good. Ranked too high? Maybe, but who really deserves it more based on full resumes?

4. Maryland Terrapins

• Records: 8-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 20 in the Associated Press poll and No. 17 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12.  Ranked No. 18 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat Miami, No. 16 Illinois. Lost to Wisconsin. 
• This week: Wednesday vs. No. 16 UCLA, 9 p.m. ET. (TV: FOX Sports 1)
• The skinny: New coach Kevin Willard is doing a great job with the Terps, and the win over the Illini was nice. It's hard to gauge the value of the other wins though. With four players averaging double figures, this is a good roster that's going to remain in contention all year. Can they win on the road? That will be the big thing.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Records: 7-2 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 23 in the Associated Press poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 20 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 21 Texas Tech, Cincinnati. Lost to No. 17 San Diego State, No. 17 Duke.
• This week: Saturday vs. North Carolina, 3 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, New York. (TV: CBS)
• The skinny: Ohio State's two losses had similar themes, shooting only 42 percent vs. San Diego State and then hitting only three three-pointers in the loss to Duke. I think this team has a lot of dangerous weapons, and I'm curious to see how they look vs. North Carolina on Saturday. Do I have them too high? I did worry a bit about that.

Tyler Wahl (left) is off to a great start for Wisconsin this season. (USA TODAY Sports)

6. Wisconsin Badgers

• Records: 8-2 overall, 2-0 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 34 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 13 Maryland, Iowa, Marquette. Lost to Wake Forest.
• This week: Thursday vs. Lehigh, 7 p.m. ET. (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: The Badgers are overachieving again so far, which isn't all that uncommon with this program. They've had some really nice wins so far, and the veteran pair of Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn has been great. Freshman Connor Essegian, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native, has been a pleasant surprise, averaging double figures so far. It's been fun to watch this team here in the early going.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Records: 7-3 overall, 0-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 33 in the Associated Press poll and No. 26 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12.  Ranked No. 25 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 20 Iowa State, Seton Hall. Lost to Wisconsin, TCU.
• This week: Saturday vs. Southeast Missouri State, 8:30 p.m. ET. (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Iowa's Kris Murray has been sensational so far, but a foot injury has forced him to miss two games and you'd think this team would be completely different without him. But they were great in the blowout win over Iowa State, with all five starters hitting multiple threes. This is the hardest team to figure out for me, and I won't be a bit surprised if they're not three or four notches higher sometime soon. Murray's health status is huge.

8. Michigan State Spartans

• Records: 7-4 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently No. 42 in the Associated Press poll and No. 43 in. the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 39 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 4 Kentucky, Villanova. Lost to Notre Dame, Northwestern
• This week: Wednesday vs. Oakland, 6:30 p.m. ET.  
• The skinny: Michigan State had some nice wins early, and there was no shame in the losses to Gonzaga and Alabama. They're dealing with injuries and looked awful in losses to Notre Dame and Northwestern. Malik Hall's absence has been big, because he's such a steadying influence throughout his career.

9. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Records: 6-4 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Not receiving votes in the Associated Press poll, and ranked No. 42 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 12. Ranked No. 32 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 10 Indiana, Lost to Temple, Miami, Seton Hall.
• This week: Saturday vs. Wake Forest, Noon ET, (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Rutgers loves beating on Indiana — they've done it six straight times — and running their mouths about it. They're a decent team and the win at home over Indiana was nice, but they've also got four losses and look offensively challenged at times. As usual, the Scarlet Knights need to prove they can win away from home. 

10. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Records: 7-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 33 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 17 Illinois, Butler. Lost to Virginia Tech, Clemson.
• This week: Sunday vs. Canisius, Noon ET.
• The skinny: We always hear how tough it is to win on the road in the Big Ten, so it was a shocker to see Penn State's Andrew Funk made six threes in the win at Illinois, and Myles Dread making five. This is what Penn State does, and they will beat other good teams this year, too. They need to be more consistent though, and do a better job of closing out games. Didn't like that home loss to Michigan State at all.

11. Michigan Wolverines

• Records: 6-3 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 44 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat Pittsburgh, Lost to Arizona State.
• This week: Saturday vs. Lipscomb, 4 p.m. ET.
• The skinny: Michigan has a lot to prove this season, and they haven't done much of that yet this season. Sure, they can get a pass with losses to Virginia and Kentucky, but there are no wins that make you go wow yet either. Michigan fans still think this is a top-of-the-league team, but I haven't seen that yet. They'll get plenty of chances to improve their standing, of course, but seeing is believing.

12. Northwestern Wildcats

• Records: 7-2 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 67 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 20 Michigan State, Georgetown. Lost to Pittsburgh.
• This week: Saturday vs. DePaul, 2 p.m. ET. (TV: Big Ten Network) 
• The skinny: I am probably underrated this team a bit, because they've played pretty well so far, albeit against a fairly soft schedule. That factors in to this ranking, as does watching that 29-point home beatdown to Pittsburgh, a team with plenty of warts on its own. Is 12 too low? Quite possibly. We'll know more quickly. Their next three Big Ten games from Jan. 1-8 are all against ranked foes, Ohio State, Illinois and Indiana. 

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Records: 6-5 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 81 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 7 Creighton, Boston College. Lost to St. John's, Oklahoma, Memphis.
• This week: Saturday at Kansas State, 7 p.m. ET. 
• The skinny: The Cornhuskers have had some moments so far, beating in-state rival Creighton and scaring the heck out of Purdue at home before losing in overtime. It's going to be a tough go in league play.

14. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Records: 4-6 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten.
  
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 166 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat Western Michigan, Central Michigan. Lost to DePaul, Virginia Tech.
• This week: Wednesday vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 8 p.m. ET. (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: The Gophers are the only team with a losing record so far, but they've got Jamison Battle back now after missing four games. They've got backcourt issues that are really going to get exposed in league play. This is going to be a rough year for Minnesota.