Big Ten Basketball: Power Rankings for the 2022 New Year

By Ryan Kay | Jan 4, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 19: Trevion Williams #50 and Mason Gillis #0 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrate a shot during the Crossroads Classic college basketball game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on December 19, 2020 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

3 of 4

Big Ten Basketball Wisconsin Badgers Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports /

Tier 2 Teams in the Big Ten

All three teams will more than likely qualify for the NCAA tournament but they also still are in the race for the Big Ten title as well. If they are able to win games against tier two and tier-one opponents in Big Ten conference play, they can set themselves for a good seed in the NCAA tournament.

10-1. . Golden Gophers . 6. team. 487.

Best Wins: Princeton in the Asheville Championship tournament (87-80), at Pitt in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (54-53), at Mississippi State (81-76), and at Michigan (75-65).

Defeats: No. 10 Michigan State (75-67)

Big Ten Record: 1-1

Current Streak: Three straight wins

RPI Ranking: 15

KenPom Ranking: 68

College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 67

Net Ranking: 38

AP Poll Ranking: N/R

Next Opponent: Illinois on Jan. 4

481. . 9-3. . Fighting Illini . 5. team

Best Wins: Kansas State in the Hall of Fame Classic tournament (72-64), at Iowa (87-83), Missouri (88-63), and Notre Dame in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (82-72).

Defeats: At Marquette in the Gavitt Tipoff Games (67-66), Cincinnati in the Hall of Fame Classic tournament (71-51), and No. 8 Arizona (83-79).

Big Ten Record: 2-0

Current Streak: Two straight wins

RPI Ranking: 36

KenPom Ranking: 14

College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 11

Net Ranking: 17

AP Poll Ranking: N/R

Next Opponent: At Minnesota on Jan. 4

4. team. 493. . 11-2. . Badgers

Best Wins: Texas A&M in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational tournament (69-58), at Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (70-66), No. 12 Houston in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational tournament (65-63), Marquette (89-76), at No. 3 Purdue 74-69, and Saint Mary’s in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational tournament (61-55).

Defeats: Providence in the Gavitt Tipoff Games (63-58) and No. 21 Ohio State (73-55)

Big Ten Record: 2-1

Current Streak: Three straight wins

RPI Ranking: 7

KenPom Ranking: 33

College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 37

Net Ranking: 28

AP Poll Ranking: 23

Next Opponent: Iowa on Jan. 6

Home/Big Ten