1. Michigan (20-1, 9-1) The Wolverines regain the top spot after silencing critics who said they had already peaked with the 18-0 start. Can't forget they do have the best defense in college basketball — and Zavier Simpson's sky hook. (Previous rank: 2)
2. Michigan State (18-3, 9-1) The Spartans' hold on the No. 1 ranking was short-lived after a humbling 10-point loss to Purdue in which they were down 23 points. Tom Izzo's depth took a big hit when Joshua Langford was lost for the season because of an ankle injury. (1)
3. Purdue (15-6, 8-2) Carsen Edwards leads the Big Ten in scoring (24.9 ppg), but the Boilermakers are 7-1 and have won five straight games with freshman big man Trevion Williams in the main rotation. (5)
4. Wisconsin (15-6, 7-3) Ethan Happ is gaining some national player of the year steam after his second triple-double Saturday vs. Northwestern; Maryland visits Friday night. (6)
5. Maryland (17-5, 8-3) The Terrapins, who have lost two of their past three games, can show they are still Big Ten title contenders by playing well at Wisconsin and Nebraska. (3)
6. Minnesota (16-5, 6-4) Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy are one of the Big Ten's top inside-outside tandems, and the Gophers have been showing off some more depth. (8)
7. Iowa (16-5, 5-5) After a five-game winning streak, the Hawkeyes have dropped two in a row. (4)
8. Nebraska (13-8, 3-7) The Cornhuskers have dropped six of their past eight games, including four in a row. (7)
