Big Ten power rankings
1. Ohio State (9-0): The Buckeyes, who are more than just big man Kaleb Wesson, rose to the top of the Big Ten with 25-point victories against top-10 opponents Villanova and North Carolina.
2. Michigan (8-1): Losing to No. 1 Louisville on the road by 15 points doesn't overshadow the ascension from unranked to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 after beating North Carolina and Gonzaga.
3. Maryland (10-0): Terrapins have Big Ten's best inside-outside tandem with Jalen Smith and Anthony Cowan, but they also might be the deepest team.
4. Michigan State (5-3): The Spartans fell from preseason No. 1, but don't count out Tom Izzo and All-America guard Cassius Winston.
5. Indiana (8-1): The Hoosiers defeated Florida State but were humbled in their first road game, a 20-point loss at Wisconsin.
6. Penn State (7-2): The Nittany Lions haven't reached the NCAA tournament since 2011 but have their most talented team in nine seasons under Pat Chambers.
7. Purdue (5-3): Nobody can replace Carsen Edwards, but Purdue showed its firepower in a 29-point win against defending national champion Virginia.
8. Illinois (6-3): The Illini led by 14 at halftime on the road against Maryland, showing their improvement, but they're still looking for a signature win.
9. Iowa (6-3): Hawkeyes have Big Ten leading scorer Luke Garza, but his 44 points didn't get them past Michigan in the conference opener.
10. Wisconsin (5-4): After four nonconference losses, the Badgers responded with a win at home against Indiana.
11. Rutgers (6-2): Coach Steve Pikiell has arguably his best team in four seasons, but the rest of the conference will take the Scarlet Knights a lot more seriously.
12. Gophers (4-4): Richard Pitino picked the wrong year to have his toughest nonconference schedule, because the Gophers had to replace three starters, including All-Big Ten players Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy.
13. Northwestern (4-3): The Wildcats have intriguing young talent with three freshmen among their top five scorers, but they don't have enough veteran leadership.
14. Nebraska (4-5): The Cornhuskers are starting over with coach Fred Hoiberg, who inherited only one returning scholarship player.
MARCUS FULLER