Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Iowa, Wisconsin joining top-tier

By Austin Walther

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 09: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with Charles Matthews as he leaves the game while playing the Wisconsin Badgers at Crisler Arena on February 09, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 61-52. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 09: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with Charles Matthews as he leaves the game while playing the Wisconsin Badgers at Crisler Arena on February 09, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 61-52. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 15
Next
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 05: Kipper Nichols #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dunks the ball during the first half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Center on February 5, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 05: Kipper Nichols #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dunks the ball during the first half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Center on February 5, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

9. Illinois Fighting Illini (9-15)

Previous rank: 13

Illinois sat in the basement because their non-conference was dreadful. They jumped one because the Illini had one Big Ten win and Penn State had zero. Two weeks later and Illinois is in the top-10. They won just four games in the first two months of action. Illinois has won five in the last month of play including four out of the last five.

The win over Minnesota jumped Illinois over Penn State because that was just one more win than the Nittany Lions. Then the Illini went out East to play Maryland at the Garden and won by 11. Trent Frazier, Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Aaron Jordan struggled to shoot the ball, but Ayo Dosumnu showed why he is a great freshman guard. He scored 20 points and dished six assists. The Illini also got three guys off the bench scoring 15 or more.

Minnesota welcomed Illinois to the Barn and beat them in the rematch. Illinois went on the road and knocked off a struggling Nebraska team. That was Kipper Nichols breakout that Illinois had been waiting for all season. He exploded for 18 points and six boards. Everyone got into the scoring against a struggling, but still really good Michigan State team.

Bezhanishvili has really improved. He was a major mismatch for Illinois against Wisconsin, but couldn’t quite pull out the upset. But his performance against the Spartans was enough to get that upset. The freshman from the country of Georgia then totally went off for 35 against Rutgers. He shot 77 percent from the field and hauled in seven boards. Three other Illini were in double-figures and this young and talented Illinois team is playing the role of spoilers this season.

Home/Big Ten