Big Ten Basketball: Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana on top of latest power rankings

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers - 9-2 (1-1)

The Cornhuskers got off to a great start on the season, going 7-0. But since the best win of the group was at home against Duquesne, there still were some doubters. It didn't help that they lost by nearly 30 pts at home to rival Creighton, before falling on the road to Minnesota.

To Nebraska's credit, they've bounced back to win two straight, beating Michigan State at home and holding Kansas State to 46 pts on the road in another win. So if nothing else, this team is officially on the bubble with a path to the NCAA Tournament, which is needed to keep Coach Fred Hoiberg's job.

Keisei Tominaga was supposed to be the star of the team and while he's still having a good year, others have chipped in. Forward Juwan Gary has had a big impact once he returned from an early suspension, while transfers Brice Williams and Rienk Mast are each averaging over 13.0 ppg so far. And while Jarron Coleman hasn't done much so far at point, sophomore guard Jamarques Lawrence has done enough as a starter in the lineup.

Nebraska should be able to take care of business in the next two games, taking on North Dakota and South Carolina State. What awaits them in Big Ten play is a rough slate though, with Purdue, Iowa, and Indiana coming up in January.