Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Trying to make sense of 12 good teams

1. Michigan State Spartans 15-5 (7-2)

Michigan State’s done it again. They start out 5-3. Lose in the opener to Kentucky at the Champions Classic. Barely win at Seton Hall, lose to Virginia Tech on a neutral court. They beat Georgia, but the Bulldogs have just one SEC win this season. Then they get taken apart by Duke at home. The Spartans were the only team to start 2-0 in Big Ten play. The win against Rutgers wasn’t much at the time, but it’s obviously much bigger now. That started an eight-game winning streak that surprised no one.

The Spartans benefited from a three-game homestand where they beat Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. But the state of Indiana did them in. The Spartans scored 42 at Purdue and then lost a close one at Assembly Hall two games later. Michigan State was able to tear apart Wisconsin at home and did the same to Minnesota on the road. The Spartans split their last two, but still only have just two losses in the Big Ten. They took down Illinois by 20 early on, but have a rematch in Champaign in February.

Turnovers are always going to be a problem for Cassius Winston and Michigan State. He turned the ball over nine times which led to the terrible loss to Purdue. He and Rocket Watts were the only two in double-figures.

The defense played outstanding in the win over Wisconsin. Winston didn’t score a whole lot, but he and Xavier Tillman finally got some help. Gabe Brown, Aaron Henry and Watts were all in double-figures. The same thing happened against Indiana, but the Hoosiers bench outscored them 16-10. Watts started for Henry against Minnesota and he, Tillman and Winston dominated. If that happens on a consistent basis, The Spartans will end up in the final four.