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

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers – 8-7 (1-3)

Two things can be true when it comes to Nebraska Basketball; they’re much improved compared to the past few seasons, while still not being good enough to compete for a top-half finish in the Big Ten. They have a win over Creighton, as well as a 66-50 victory over Iowa a week ago. It was a balanced effort, with all five starters scoring in double figures, with Sam Greisel leading the way with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

But the Cornhuskers took a step back this week, getting handled against Michigan State. They were down big early and ultimately ended up losing, 74-56. Derrick Walker had a solid game with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Wilhelm Breidenbach had 10 off the bench. But the team shot just 42% from the field and 2/16 from deep, which isn’t good enough to win in conference games.

The good news is that they’re good enough to not be last in the Big Ten but they aren’t far behind if they can’t get back in the win column. Up next is a road game at Minnesota, which could very well decide who the worst team in the conference is in the next power ranking.