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Big Ten Power Rankings: Wisconsin can validate its spot as a tier-one team

Four teams have started to separate from the pack as college basketball moves into the holiday tournament schedule
Benjamin Worgull|
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) drives past Southern Illinois-Edwardsville forward Arnas Sakenis (34) during the second half of their game Monday, November 17, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 94-69.
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) drives past Southern Illinois-Edwardsville forward Arnas Sakenis (34) during the second half of their game Monday, November 17, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 94-69. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

After mostly fattening up on cupcakes, teams in the Big Ten are about to find out where they really stand.

Seven teams in the league have yet to face a power-conference opponent or leave its home arena. Some teams fall into both categories, like Wisconsin.

Picked seventh in the preseason media poll, the Badgers are undefeated and mostly unchallenged through the first two weeks of the season. UW's retooled starting lineup has functioned at a high clip based on an abundance of three-point shots (11th nationally in three-point attempts) and taking advantage of undersized teams in the low post.

That luxury will now be gone with No.9 BYU in Salt Lake City on Friday, a matchup with a Providence team that has bullied UW around physically in two matchups the last five seasons, and either a TCU that pushed Michigan or No.10 Florida. Those three games start a string of seven straight games against power-conference competition

Want to know more about the Badgers? You will by the time the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone.

Here are week three of the Big Ten Power Rankings.

1, Purdue Boilermakers (4-0) Previous: 2

Senior Trey Kaufman-Renn started his season with a bang. After missing Purdue's first two games, the all-conference forward had 19 points and 15 rebounds to help the Boilermakers dominate the glass in an 87-80 victory at No.8 Alabama.

Kaufman-Renn and point guard Braden Smith showed why they could be the best guard-forward tandem in the country. Kaufman-Renn had 17 points and eight rebounds in the first half while Smith had 21 of his 29 points in the second half, proving that taking one player away doesn't guarantee success.

The game featured 21 lead changes, but Purdue had a 52-28 edge on the glass, including 19 offensive rebounds. The only reason Alabama stayed close was because the Crimson Tide went 16 of 44 from three-point range.

Beating a top 10, non-conference opponent on the road for the first time since 1982, and showing no mercy against Akron, there's no question the Boilers are the Big Ten's best team.

Up next: Tonight vs. Memphis in The Bahamas

2, Michigan State Spartans (4-0) Previous: 3

The league's best resume belongs to the Spartans, who own a pair of wins over ranked SEC opponents after dismantling No.12 Kentucky in New York. Not only did the Spartans outmuscle the Wildcats on the glass, 42-28, they crushed them from distance. Michigan State was ranked 352nd out of 365 Division-1 teams from three-point range but went 11-for-22 from the perimeter. That lethal combination was largely responsible for a 30-10 run that put a nail in the Kentucky coffin.

The Spartans' defense is ranked ninth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 94.0 points per 100 possessions.

Up Next: Friday vs. Detroit Mercy

3, Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) Previous: 1

Andrej Stojakovic and Kylan Boswell continue to shine for the Illini in their biggest games. After the duo combined for 45 points in a ranked win over Texas Tech, Stojakovic had 26 and Boswell added 22 against No.11 Alabama in Chicago. One of the main reasons why the Illini beat the Red Raiders and not the Crimson Tide was from the foul line, as Illinois was 13-for-22 in a four-point loss. Throw in a costly lane violation late in the second half and 11 turnovers and there were multiple self-inflicted wounds that cost the Illini another marquee win.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Long Island

4, Wisconsin Badgers (4-0) Previous: 6

The Badgers have now started the season 4-0 in back-to-back years and the fourth time in the Greg Gard era. All four have been relatively easy with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. The long ball has been a catalyst. With 49 three-pointers made, including 15 made in Monday's victory against SIUE, the Badgers lead the Big Ten averaging 12.3 three-point field goals per game.

Wisconsin will truly be tested in the next eight days with three neutral-site games against power conference opponents, with two potentially being opponents ranked in the top 10.

Up Next: Friday vs. No.9 BYU in Salt Lake City

5, Michigan Wolverines (4-0) Previous: 4

The Wolverines grinded out another power-conference win at TCU, 69-63, overcoming 22 turnovers with double-doubles from transfer forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. It was much easier against Middle Tennessee, an 86-61 win in which Lendeborg had season highs with 25 points and 12 rebounds and all nine players in the Michigan rotation scored.

The Wolverines have a ton of individual talent but hasn't translated into easy wins against stronger competition.

Up Next: Monday vs. San Diego State in Las Vegas

6, Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) Previous: 5

An Indiana team built on perimeter shooting struggled to do it against Incarnate Word Sunday, going only 5-for-24 against the Cardinals' 1-3-1 zone. Sam Alexis scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds to help Indiana win 69-61 and avoid the upset. The Hoosiers guarded well and kept the visitors off the free throw line, outscoring them by 11 at the charity stripe.

Up next: Tonight vs. Lindenwood

7, Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0) Previous: 9

Pryce Sandfort had 28 points and seven assists and Rienk Mast scored 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting to lead the Huskers past Oklahoma, 105-99, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Nebraska didn't slow Oklahoma as much as the Huskers outshot them. Sandfort and Mast combined to hit nine of Nebraska's 15 3-pointers, the team shot 57.6 percent from the field, made 22 of 28 free throws and committed five turnovers, its fewest in a game in three years.

Nebraska has won eight straight dating to last season, the program’s longest win streak since winning 11 in a row in the 2010-11 season.

Up next: Tonight vs. New Mexico in Kansas City, MO

8, Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0), Previous: 10

In their first game against a power conference opponent, the Buckeyes forced 13 turnovers and held Notre Dame to 1 of 7 shooting over the last three-and-a-half minutes for a one-point win. Bruce Thornton had 24 points and Christoph Tilly scored 14 of his 18 in the second half, including a drive down the lane for a contested layup with 13 seconds to go.

Although averaging 15.0 ppg over his career, Thornton is averaging 25.3 to start his senior season.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Western Michigan

9, UCLA Bruins (4-1) Previous: 7

The Bruins missed a chance for an early signature win when old Pac-12 rival Arizona outlasted them in Inglewood, especially when UCLA had a 57-49 lead and watched the Wildcats close the game on a 20-8 run.

Next time out, Mick Cronin started four different players, and the revamped starting lineup held Sacramento State scoreless over the opening six minutes. He insisted postgame he wasn't sending a message, but the Bruins held the Hornets to 24.1 percent shooting for the game.

One thing that has to clean up is the turnovers, as UCLA is tied for 107th nationally with 11.2 per game.

Up Next: Friday vs. Presbyterian

10, USC Trojans (3-0) Previous: 8

The Trojans haven't been tested yet but have looked solid in three games. Senior Chad Baker-Mazara had a career-high 26 points against Manhattan and Maryland transfer Rodney Rice had a triple-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead four players in double figures in a win over Illinois State in Inglewood.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Troy

11, Northwestern Wildcats (4-0) Previous: 11

Nick Martinelli scored 24 points and extended his double-figures streak to 30 straight games and Northwestern picked up a gutsy road two-point road win at DePaul.

Martinelli went 8 of 11 from the field and added seven free throws, and Arrinten Page dominated inside with 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting. Jayden Reid finished with 17 points and hit four free throws in the final 11 minutes as Northwestern rallied after trailing by six in the second half.

Up Next: Friday vs. Virginia in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

12, Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0) Previous: 12

The Hawkeyes used their win over Illinois State as a glorified scrimmage, as the bench playing more minutes (106) than the starters (94). All 10 players in head coach Ben McCollum’s rotation had at least six points.

Point guard Bennett Stirtz is getting a lot of the attention (as he should averaging 19.8 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field) but forward Tavion Banks is shooting 78.9 percent (15-for-19) through four games.

Up Next: Tonight vs. Chicago State

13, Oregon Ducks (3-0) Previous: 13

With their three big pieces finally healthy and producing, the Ducks finally showed their potential Nate Bittle had 24 points and seven rebounds, Jackson Shelstad scored 22 and Kwame Evans Jr. had 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a rivalry win over Oregon State.

It was the second 20-point game of the season for Bittle, the best shooting night of the season for Shelstad, and Evans went 3 of 6 from the field and 10 of 14 from the line.

With all three players clicking, Oregon shot a season best 47.2 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three.

Up Next: Monday vs. No.22 Auburn in Las Vegas

14, Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0) Previous: 16

Freshman Kayden Mingo scored a career-high 24 points, but it was 7-footer Ivan Jurić and his work in the paint that was the difference in an 84-80 victory over Harvard. He have a game-high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, and opened up separation for shooters off ball screens. Penn State shot 31 of 57 (54.4 percent) from the field and outscored the Crimson by nine at the line.

Up Next: Saturday vs. Providence in Connecticut

15, Maryland Terrapins (2-1) Previous: 14

Averaging only 5.1 points in 34 games for Kansas last season, David Coit had a coming-out party for the Terps. The senior guard had a team-best 19 points to help Maryland overcome an eight-point deficit and the loss of starting guard Pharrell Payne to a nasty-looking lower-body injury to win at Marquette. On Wednesday, Coit had a 41 and hit the game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation, leading to a win against Mount St. Mary's.

He scored 24 points in the second half and finished 11-of-17 shooting and 8 of 10 on 3-pointers. He made all 11 of his free throws, helping steal away a game in which analytics gave the Mountaineers close to a 90 percent chance in the closing minute.

There has been no updated injury information on Payne.

Up Next: Monday vs. UNLV in Las Vegas

16, Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0): Previous: 17

Dylan Grant had 22 points and 11 rebounds; Tariq Francis added 19 points and Rutgers held off American University 80-71 on Tuesday night to begin a season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2020-21.

Rutgers has won 20 straight home games against nonconference opponents — the second longest in the Big Ten.

Up Next: Friday vs. Central Connecticut

17, Washington Huskies (3-1) Previous: 16

Washington trailed Southern on three separate occasions in the second half, including trailing by four with 11 seconds remaining in the first overtime, but managed to survive thanks to Quinn Peterson (15 points) generating a four-point play and a tying layup with 1.2 seconds left to force a second extra sesssion.

Wesley Yates III scored 23 points. Desmond Claude scored 20 points in his Washington debut after missing the start of the season with a sprained ankle.

Due to injuries, the Huskies only played with nine players.

Up Next: Nov.27 vs. Nevada in Palm Spring, CA

18, Minnesota Gophers (4-1): Previous: 18

The Gophers have won two straight since losing by 23 points at Missouri, but the wins came against a one-win Green Bay team in overtime and a winless Chicago State team by 12.

Up Next: Saturday vs. San Francisco in Sioux Falls, S.D.

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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