Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Michigan, Michigan State both lose

By Austin Walther

MADISON, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 19: Kobe King #23 and Tai Strickland #13 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate after beating the Michigan Wolverines 64-54 at the Kohl Center on January 19, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 19: Kobe King #23 and Tai Strickland #13 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate after beating the Michigan Wolverines 64-54 at the Kohl Center on January 19, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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PISCATAWAY, NJ – JANUARY 09: Geo Baker #0 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights celebrates with Jacob Young #42 after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 64-61 in a game at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 9, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. baker scored the game winning three point basket. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ – JANUARY 09: Geo Baker #0 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights celebrates with Jacob Young #42 after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 64-61 in a game at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 9, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. baker scored the game winning three point basket. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-9)

Previous rank: 11

Rutgers is holding at number 11 for the second straight power rankings. Kind of a gutsy move on my part, but like I mentioned earlier, coming into this week, the Scarlet Knights are just one of four teams on a multiple-game winning streak. They resumed Big Ten play with less than 10 wins and at the end of January, Rutgers has found themselves with double-digit wins.

The Knights have three wins in Big Ten play now. It was rough during the two-game stretch in December. Both Michigan State and Wisconsin were ranked. Then in their second game back, they picked up a huge win at home against Ohio State. The RAC claimed victim to another struggling Big Ten team in Nebraska and then they picked up their second road win of the season against Penn State.

Eugene Omoruyi is the leading scorer for the Knights, but has missed three games this season. They are easing him back into playing time so the breakout junior is coming off the bench. Freshman Montez Mathis has seen 10 starts this season and went off against Nebraska. He dropped 20 without even making an outside shot. Obviously Geo Baker is doing his thing, averaging over 13 points per game.

Peter Kiss was on earlier this season, but now other players are stepping up. Myles Johnson was in double-figures off the bench against the Cornhuskers. Mathis was in double-figures once again against Penn State. Omoruyi played 23 minutes against the Nittany Lions and scored 11 points. He will probably see himself back in the starting lineup against Indiana on Wednesday which is actually going to be a very interesting game to watch.

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