Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Illinois, Rutgers rise to top of standings
By Adam Childs
The Illini were a trendy pick to rise in the Big Ten this year and so far they haven’t disappointed. They are one of the few teams with a road win when they knocked off Wisconsin by one in madison.
Ayo Dosunmu and freshman Kofi Cockburn have led the way for the Illini so far this year. They have scored 15.4 and 14.6 points per game respectively and have been dominant at times throughout the year.
Brad Underwood has his team playing great defense at it showed when they gave up just 37 points to Purdue earlier this month.
Their schedule ramps up the next few weeks as they must travel to Purdue, Michigan, and Iowa in three of their next four games. They also host Maryland and Michigan State right after that. If they can win two fo the road games and protect home court they may be headed for a Big Ten title.
Outside of their blowout loss at Purdue, the Spartans just keep winning. Cassius Winston broke the Big Ten record for assists in their win against Wisconsin last week and he keeps showing why he is one of the best players in the Big Ten.
Winston also leads the team with 18.1 points per game, while Xavier Tillman is helping out with 14 a game.
Despite their early season struggles, the Spartans have seemed to right the ship and as crazy as the Big Ten is, this is their conference to lose.
Next. Biggest questions of the week. dark
As long as the Spartans have Winson leading the team they have a chance to win every game. It will still be tough to win on the road but the Spartans are best built to come away with wins away from East Lansing.
The Spartans are the best in the Big Ten until proven otherwise.