Undefeated but how good? Where are the Gophers in the first Big Ten power rankings?

MARCUS FULLER'S FIRST BIG TEN MEN'S HOOPS POWER RANKINGS

1. Purdue (7-0): The Boilermakers, led by Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey, and Trevion Williams, appear to be in a class on their own after steamrolling the competition so far by an average of 28 points per game, including wins over North Carolina and Villanova.

2. Illinois (5-2): The Illini have looked so much better since their 20-point loss to Cincinnati, especially with 7-foot All-American Kofi Cockburn back and averaging nearly 27 points per game.

3. Wisconsin (6-1): The Badgers shouldn't shock anyone for being near the top of the league again so far, but four wins away from home were a pleasant surprise, including the Maui Invitational title.

4. Ohio State (5-2): The Buckeyes are nowhere near the team they could be when healthy, but upsetting No. 1 Duke at home this week proves E.J. Liddell and company can still pack a punch right now.

5. Michigan State (6-2): Hall of Famer Tom Izzo isn't used to having a team outside of the top 25 this early, but the Spartans are closer to proving worthy after wins against Louisville and UConn.

6. Michigan (4-3): Juwan Howard will be fine, but the defending champion Wolverines are the biggest disappointment going into early league play, especially with blowout losses to Arizona and North Carolina.

7. Iowa (7-0): An undefeated Iowa team would be ranked higher most years, but these aren't your Luka Garza-led Hawkeyes. Keegan Murray is a legit NBA prospect, but his team lacks a signature win.

8. Indiana (6-1): Trayce Jackson-Davis is a load in the paint as he displayed with his 43-point outburst vs. Marshall, but the Hoosiers are still searching for their first marquee victory under first-year coach Mike Woodson.

9. Maryland (5-3): The Terrapins were a popular preseason sleeper pick to contend, but they've failed to live up to those expectations yet with the talented backcourt of Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell still developing chemistry.

10. Gophers (6-0): How disrespectful to have the undefeated Gophers so low you say? First-year coach Ben Johnson would agree that they don't care about rankings but maintaining this spot instead of last place as the schedule gets tougher would be an impressive feat.

11. Rutgers (4-3): The Scarlet Knights appear to be suffering from the loss of a few key pieces to the transfer portal, but they still return a solid backcourt tandem with Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr.

12. Penn State (4-3): First-year Nittany Lions coach Micah Shrewsberry is ahead of schedule with this rebuild project because he has a team that can compete with anyone.

13. Northwestern (5-2): The Wildcats have a win vs. lowly Georgia at home, but they otherwise haven't shown glimpses of making the huge jump expected in Chris Collins' ninth season.

14. Nebraska (5-3): The injury bug hit the Cornhuskers hardest in the league with the loss of potential star Trey McGowens, but his younger brother, Bryce, still makes them a dangerous team.