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

Jan 16, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard RJ Melendez (15), forward Dain Dainja (42), forward Matthew Mayer (24), and guard Jayden Epps (3) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports /

7 of 14

Big Ten Basketball Penn State Nittany Lions guard Myles Dread Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Penn State Nittany Lions – 12-6 (3-4)

The schedule has gotten difficult for the Nittany Lions and the losses have started to pile up. They were defeated by both Purdue and Michigan by a combined 23 points. The good news is that they took on a depleted Indiana roster and promptly took advantage, winning 85-66.

Usually, whenever there’s a 20+ point scorer for Penn State, one of them is star guard Jalen Pickett. But he only had 12 points in the game, along with five rebounds and eight assists. It was Seth Lundy that starred for the team, going for 25 points on 7/12 from three-point range. Forward Andrew Funk had 23 while also shooting 7/12 from deep.

In the last game, the Lions took on a reeling Wisconsin team that was in desperate need of a win on the road. It was a low-scoring and tough battle but in the end, the Badgers got the 63-60 victory. This time around, Pickett did lead the team with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists while playing all 40 minutes. Funk had 16 points, making three of the team’s eight threes on the night.

Penn State takes on Nebraska this weekend at home, followed up with a road game at Rutgers. With Michigan and Purdue following that up, it would be nice to beat the Scarlet Knights and get some wiggle room going forward.

Home/Big Ten