Big Ten Basketball: Illinois rises, Iowa falls in latest power rankings

There have been a few teams viewed as the “team to beat” in NCAA Basketball this season, including Baylor, Duke, and Gonzaga. The other is Purdue, who landed its first AP No. 1 overall in program history this season after big victories over North Carolina and Villanova in the Tip-Off Tournament. The stretch afterward, including losing on the road at Rutgers thanks to a buzzer-beater and needing overtime to beat NC State showed that they are vulnerable like everyone else.

Still, when the Boilermakers are at their best, there may not be a team in the country that can stop them. There might be a question as to who should start but when either Trevion Williams (13.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg) and Zach Edey (14.4 ppg and 7.5 rpg) are on the court in the center position, the team has a top-10 big man in the country.

The biggest reason for Purdue becoming a national title favorite is the breakout campaign of Jaden Ivey, who leads the team with 16.5 ppg, along with 5.3 rpg and 3.3 apg. The 6’4 guard is one of the best athletes in transition and while he’s still learning how to make the right decisions as the lead guard, he’s good to go for 25+ in a given night.

The supporting cast has been just fine as well, including point guard Sasha Stefanovic (11.3 ppg and 3.9 apg), perimeter role players Mason Gillis, Brandon Newman, Isaiah Thompson, and Eric Hunter, and freshman forward Caleb Furst.

When this team shoots well, there are few teams that can beat them in 40 minutes. But as Rutgers showed, no game in Big Ten Basketball play is going to be a “gimme” on the road. But the setback to the Scarlet Knights doesn’t negate everything this team accomplished in the non-conference, which is why they deserve the No. 1 spot for now. But Ohio State, Michigan State, and Illinois have the firepower to make their own case in the future.