Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Illinois free falls, Rutgers soars up

3. Rutgers Scarlet Knights – 11-4 (3-1)

For some reason, there are oddities that occur in NCAA Basketball that can’t be explained. And Purdue vs Rutgers when the Boilermakers are No. 1 is one of them. Last season, the Scarlet Knights defeated Purdue thanks to a game-winner from Ron Harper Jr. at home. This time around, the game was at Purdue on Monday.

It once again was a close game, coming down to the final seconds. And once again, Rutgers came out on top to beat the No. 1 team in the country, 65-64. Paul Mulcahy, who is now fully healthy, had 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Cam Spencer had 14 points on 6/8 shooting, while big man Clifford Omoruyi had 12 points and six rebounds while holding star Zach Edey to by his standards, normal numbers on the other end.

The Scarlet Knights continued its momentum on Thursday against a reeling Maryland squad. The defense of Rutgers dominated the Terrapins, winning 64-50. Mulcahy had 15 points while making all six of his shot attempts, with both Spencer and Caleb McConnell also in double figures.

With a five-game winning streak, the Scarlet Knights stay at home to take on Iowa. This is a team that has fought through injuries to this point and is now healthy overall and considering how the Big Ten looks from top to bottom, has a real chance of a top-tier finish. If nothing else, this team doesn’t beat itself.