Big Ten hoops: It's Michigan State, Purdue and then everyone else

BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS

Marcus Fuller's rankings, with five teams to watch:

1. Michigan State (15-1): The Spartans entered the new year as the top-ranked team in the nation for the first time since 2002.

2. Purdue (14-2): Coach Matt Painter is already talking about his Boilermakers having Final Four potential after 10 consecutive victories.

3. Gophers (13-3): Senior point guard Nate Mason's return from an ankle injury means Richard Pitino still has a starting five that can beat anyone, especially now that they are playing well defensively.

4. Michigan (13-3)

5. Ohio State (12-4)

7. Nebraska (11-5)

8. Northwestern (10-6): The Wildcats dodged a bullet with senior point guard Bryant McIntosh avoiding a season-ending knee injury, but how long is he sidelined?

9. Penn State (11-5)

10. Illinois (10-6)

11. Indiana (8-7)

13. Iowa (9-8): The Hawkeyes lost at home again Thursday, dropping to 0-4 to start Big Ten play for the first time since Fran McCaffery's first season in 2010-11.