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Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan State fight at top

By Ryan Kay

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 2: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is pressured by Xavier Tillman #23 and Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Breslin Center on January 2, 2020, in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 2: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is pressured by Xavier Tillman #23 and Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Breslin Center on January 2, 2020, in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /
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BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JANUARY 23: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JANUARY 23: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

3. Michigan State 16-7 (8-4)

Key Wins

*On the road, defeated Seton Hall 76-73 in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

*Beat Illinois by a score of 76-56.

*On a neutral court, defeated Georgia 93-85 in the Maui Invitational.

*Beat Rutgers and Wisconsin at home.

Disappointing Losses

*Lost to Virginia Tech 71-66 on a neutral court.

*Lost on the road to Purdue by a score of 71-42.

*Lost at home to Penn State, 75-70.

KenPom Ranking 9

Net Ranking 10

The Spartans entered the Big Ten season on a roll and looked to have been the favorites to win the conference for most of the month in January. However, there were warning signs with a bad road loss at Purdue last month. When the Spartans lost at Indiana and at Wisconsin, they still controlled their own destiny in the Big Ten. When Michigan State lost to Penn State at home, it legitimately became a three-way race between them, Maryland, and Illinois.

Even though Michigan State brought back a good portion of returning talent from their Final Four team from last season, the Spartans and little margin for error entering Big Ten play. Not only were they the favorites to win the Big Ten again this season, but they were also the favorites to win the national championship in 2020 prior to the start of the season. Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman, Aaron Henry, and a healthy Joshua Langford before the start of the season was arguably the best foursome in all of college basketball and Michigan State had very high expectations back in October.

The Spartans went into the season with a relatively healthy Kyle Ahrens who entered the season as a fifth-year senior, Gabe Brown who is a rising young offensive three-point specialist, and true freshmen Rocket Watts who has a lot of potential, was to make the Spartans a very deep team.  However, entering the month of February you are seeing the Spartan offense struggle at times.

To fully understand why Michigan State lost by 29 points at Purdue or why they lost on the road to the Badgers or Hoosiers, you have to go back to the month of October to see how all of that preseason momentum start to quickly drift away. The first major blow to the Spartans came in the third week of October when starting shooting guard Langford re-injured his left foot just two weeks from the beginning of his senior and last season at Michigan State.

Then the favorite to win Big Ten Player of the Year candidate and potentially national player of the year star guard Cassius Winston, lost his brother Zachary in early November. He bravely has played through the emotional pain that he has been enduring since losing his brother with whom he was extremely close to. They finally momentum stopper came when news came out that Michigan State would not be getting approval from the NCAA for immediate eligibility for forward Joey Hauser who was denied immediate eligibility. If you look at all of those factors, you should not be surprised by the fact that the Spartans lost a close game at home to a very underrated Penn State team.

Tom Izzo, Cassius Winston and company are still here and the Spartans are back to back Big Ten regular-season champions as well as reigning Big Ten Tournament champions as well. Even with the recent struggles of losing three of their last five games, they are still only a half-game out of first place. The Spartans next travel to play Michigan on Feb. 8th.

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