Big Ten Standings: Purdue Still Comfortable on Top; Indiana Surging at Right Time; Maryland Poised for Strong Finish
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Despite suffering its second loss of the season against Indiana on the road Saturday, Purdue (22-2, 11-2 Big Ten) still sits comfortably in the driver's seat in the race for a Big Ten regular-season title.
The Boilermakers have a three-game lead over second-place Rutgers. However, the Scarlet Knights are responsible for their only other loss of the season, which came in a one-point decision at Mackey Arena on Jan. 2.
Purdue won't see Rutgers again during the regular season but will get a rematch with its in-state rival at home on Feb. 25. The Boilermakers are now 7-1 on the road entering the final month of scheduled conference play.
Four of their remaining seven games will be played at home, which bodes well for the team's Big Ten Championship aspirations.
Rutgers (16-7, 8-4) is set to tip off against Indiana (16-7, 7-5) on Tuesday at Assembly Hall, a matchup with huge implications on the conference standings behind Purdue. The surging Hoosiers have won six of their last seven games and are 12-1 at home.
A head-to-head victory over Purdue has been the signature win for Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights have a rough road ahead if they want to jump into the conference lead. They play five of their last eight games on the road, including a matchup with Illinois, which is still in the hunt at this point in the year.
The Fighting Illini (16-7, 7-5) have an even split of home and away games the rest of the way, with road contests against both the Boilermakers and Hoosiers looming large and likely to put a damper on their chance of competing for the Big Ten title.
Iowa (15-8, 7-5) will also hit the road for games against Purdue and Indiana in February. The Hawkeyes will be away from home in five of their last eight matchups to end the regular season.
Maryland (16-7, 7-5) is also hitting its stride at an important stretch of the season, riding a four-game win streak heading into a favorable split of home and away games. The Terrapins are 12-1 on their home court and will welcome the Boilermakers to the Xfinity Center on Feb. 16.
Purdue scraped by against Maryland in their first meeting back on Jan. 22 in West Lafayette, holding off a strong second-half comeback attempt by the Terrapins in a narrow 58-55 win.
The rest of Maryland's road matchups are against middling Big Ten competition, which could pave the way for a strong run heading into postseason play.
Here's a breakdown of all the programs currently jostling for position atop the Big Ten standings, including the team's conference record and their remaining schedule:
Feb 1, 2023; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) reacts during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mackey Arena.
© Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Purdue Boilermakers
Big Ten record: 11-2
Remaining schedule
Home:
- Iowa (Thursday, Feb. 9)
- Ohio State (Sunday, Feb. 19)
- Indiana (Saturday, Feb. 25)
- Illinois (Sunday, March 5)
Away:
- Northwestern (Sunday, Feb. 12)
- Maryland (Thursday, Feb. 16)
- Wisconsin (Thursday, March 2)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Big Ten record: 8-4
Remaining schedule
Home:
- Nebraska (Tuesday, Feb. 14)
- Michigan (Thursday, Feb. 23)
- Northwestern (Sunday, March 5)
Away:
- Indiana (Tuesday, Feb. 7)
- Illinois (Saturday, Feb. 11)
- Wisconsin (Saturday, Feb. 18)
- Penn State (Sunday, Feb. 26)
- Minnesota (Thursday, March 2)
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) stares at the Purdue bench after a dunk during the first half of Indiana versus Purdue men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.
© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Indiana Hoosiers
Big Ten Record: 7-5
Remaining schedule
Home:
- Rutgers (Tuesday, Feb. 7)
- Illinois (Saturday, Feb. 18)
- Iowa (Tuesday, Feb. 28)
- Michigan (Sunday, March 5)
Away:
- Michigan (Saturday, Feb. 11)
- Northwestern (Wednesday, Feb. 15)
- Michigan State (Tuesday, Feb. 21)
- Purdue (Saturday, Feb. 25)
Illinois Fighting Illini
Big Ten Record: 7-5
Remaining schedule
Home:
- Minnesota (Tuesday, Feb. 7)
- Rutgers (Saturday, Feb. 11)
- Northwestern, Feb. 23
- Michigan (Thursday, March 2)
Away:
- Penn State (Tuesday, Feb. 14)
- Indiana (Saturday, Feb. 18)
- Ohio State (Sunday, Feb. 26)
- Purdue (Sunday, March 5)
Jan 28, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Jahmir Young (1) splits Nebraska Cornhuskers defenders on the way to the basket during the second half at Xfinity Center.
© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Maryland Terrapins
Big Ten Record: 7-5
Remaining schedule
Home:
- Penn State (Saturday, Feb. 11)
- Purdue, (Thursday, Feb. 16)
- Minnesota (Wednesday, Feb. 22)
- Northwestern (Sunday, Feb. 26)
Away:
- Michigan State (Tuesday, Feb. 7)
- Nebraska (Sunday, Feb. 19)
- Ohio State (Wednesday, March 1)
- Penn State (Sunday, March 5)
Iowa Hawkeyes
Big Ten Record: 7-5
Remaining schedule
Home:
- Ohio State (Thursday, Feb. 16)
- Michigan State (Saturday, Feb. 25)
- Nebraska (Sunday, March 5)
Away:
- Purdue (Thursday, Feb. 9)
- Minnesota (Sunday, Feb. 12)
- Northwestern (Sunday, Feb. 19)
- Wisconsin (Wednesday, Feb. 22)
- Indiana (Tuesday, Feb. 28)
The rest of the pack
- Northwestern: 16-7, 7-5
- Michigan: 13-10, 7-5
- Michigan State: 14-9, 6-6
- Penn State: 14-9, 5-7
- Wisconsin: 13-9, 5-7
- Nebraska: 11-13, 4-9
- Ohio State: 11-12, 3-9
- Minnesota: 7-15, 1-11
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