Big Ten Basketball: Michigan’s rout puts them on top of Power Rankings

7. Indiana Hoosiers (8-5, 3-3 Big Ten)

Much of the criticism of Purdue can be applied to Indiana. After all, Indiana’s three Big Ten wins come against Penn State, Nebraska, and Maryland – there’s a reason those three teams are at the bottom of the conference’s pecking order.

Indiana stands out thanks to the presence of sophomore star Trayce Jackson-Davis. Despite not having a single made three-pointer, Jackson-Davis is destroying opponents, averaging 20.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He should garner some All-Big Ten love at the end of the year.

The health of Armaan Franklin will be a key factor for the team over the next few games. He sprained his ankle against Maryland and has missed the last two games – he’ll be a game-time call for the Purdue game. Franklin has emerged as the second option for Indiana’s offense, averaging 12.7 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting from three.

After the Purdue contest – which is hard enough due to the nature rivalry – Indiana has a really challenging stretch ahead. They travel to Iowa, host Rutgers, and then play Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa again in consecutive games. We’re about to find out how real this Hoosiers team is in terms of being an NCAA Tournament contender.