Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Indiana tumbles, Rutgers storms up in latest power rankings

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 20, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Eli Brooks (55) looks to pass as Wisconsin Badgers guard Johnny Davis (1) and guard Brad Davison (34) defend at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Eli Brooks (55) looks to pass as Wisconsin Badgers guard Johnny Davis (1) and guard Brad Davison (34) defend at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports /
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Big Ten Basketball Paul Mulcahy Rutgers Scarlet Knights Clifford Omoruyi (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Big Ten Basketball Paul Mulcahy Rutgers Scarlet Knights Clifford Omoruyi (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

. Scarlet Knights . 5. team. 452. . 16-10 (10-6)

On February 1st, the Scarlet Knights lost to Northwestern in overtime to make it 3 of 4 defeats. At that time, their resume was squarely out of the field, with non-conference losses to DePaul, UMass, and Lafayette continuing to weigh them down. The only way for them to get back on the bubble was to get some marquee wins against the top of the Big Ten.

And they did that and more.

Rutgers had the hardest stretch of games of anyone in the country, playing five straight teams ranked at least 16 or higher in the AP poll. Yet somehow, they were able to win the first four games, beating Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Illinois. And some were fairly convincing as well, with Ron Harper Jr. scoring 16+ points in three of the wins to lead the way.

With those four Quad 1 wins in a short span, Rutgers has put itself not only safely into the NCAA Tournament field but also in a spot where a double-bye in the Big Ten Basketball Tournament isn’t out of the question. It’s been an amazing turnaround for this team who looked as if they were destined for a low spot in the standings after the rough non-conference. Now they’re one of the hottest teams in the country.

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