Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Illinois soars up, Indiana keeps sliding

10. Indiana Hoosiers – 11-6 (2-4)

We’re currently at a tipping point with Indiana, who is down two starters indefinitely and are currently relying on a true freshman and a hobbled star forward to lead them to victory. With starting guard Xavier Johnson (foot) out for potentially the rest of the season and Race Thompson (knee) gone for another few weeks, the Hoosiers will have to regroup.

The team had lost three games in a row before the last game, which included a pair of last-second defeats to Iowa and Northwestern. But it was the 19-point beatdown by Penn State that raised some alarms. And the team defense has been awful, giving up at least 84 points in all three defeats.

With their backs against the wall, Indiana was at home against a Wisconsin team that was missing its best player in Tyler Wahl. The Hoosiers took advantage, winning 63-45 in the best defensive effort of the season. Trayce Jackson-Davis led all players with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 points and four assists. And those two found some help this time around with Jordan Geronimo chipping in with 12 points and 11 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end.

The Hoosiers hope that it’s a start of a new streak, with matchups against Illinois and Michigan State up next. These two games will tell us if Indiana still has a shot at a top-tier finish in the Big Ten or if the injuries will prove to be too much to overcome.