The divide from the top of the Big Ten to the middle continues to grow as Purdue stays with one loss.
What an absolute mess. Purdue keeps winning and everyone else in all of college basketball keeps losing. Especially in the Big Ten where Kenpom has it projected that seven teams will end with a five hundred record in the Big Ten.
It’s bonkers. Purdue has a two game lead in the conference with 11 conference games on their schedule.
Rutgers has shown themselves, by beating Purdue, as the most likely second-best team in the conference but they also just got handled on the road by Michigan State.
Izzo and everyone else in the Big Ten, save Minnesota, falls into the muddled, unsure of flavor of B10 basketball left. Where everyone is both good and bad, seemingly in the same game. So let’s get to volume 2 of the power rankings to try and make sense of this league.
1. Purdue 19-1 (8-1)
It hasn’t been pretty, but Purdue keeps winning and here it is again as the #1 team in the nation, narrowly outgaining Alabama in the polls.
Purdue is a no brainer one on my list, and is closing in on lapping the rest of the Big Ten. Since we last spoke they’ve gone to East Lansing and won, held a Big Ten team to 12 points in a half, and won another close game against a Maryland team that always plays Purdue tough.
Zach Edey is a 20-10 machine, and Purdue has found multiple second and third options to show up each game with him. They’re defending at a top-20 level, and they have the best offense and defense in the conference now. They’re national title contenders, a #1 seed at the moment, and the only favorite to win the Big Ten.
2. Rutgers 13-6 (5-3)
Rutgers, by process of beating Purdue, has the only real marquee victory in the Big Ten to this point. Doing it at Purdue means its weight will carry all the way into the season. They’re also an elite defensive team… even if their offense is lacking in shot making.
They’ve stumbled a bit in their last four, losing at Michigan St. and at home to…
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Author : Gold and Black
Publish date : 2023-01-24 22:48:12
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